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WASHINGTON — President Trump’s election advisers Chris LaCivita and James Blair have donated their six-figure consulting fees from a controversial side-hustle in Bosnia and Herzegovina to Trump’s presidential library, The Post has learned.
Trump was “gloating” and “very braggadocious” in private conversations this week upon learning the development, a source said — indicating that his initial hard feelings toward LaCivita and Blair over their Eastern European gig had eased.
Another source confirmed Trump was pleased to hear of the donation.
The transfer was confirmed by four sources, two of whom said that Trump heard indirectly and not from the men about their decision.
LaCivita, who co-led Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, and Blair, who served as a deputy chief of staff at the White House until May, likely will still have to pay income taxes on the revenue, which sources said was more than $100,000 apiece.
Trump had raged earlier this month after the New York Times reported that the duo, who hold top roles at the MAGA Inc super pac, had taken a trip to back a political party in the ethnically Serbian Republika Srpska, where they advised the victorious ruling party, led by Milorad Dodik, in the region’s election.
Dodik is friendly toward both Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The side job gave the impression that LaCivita and Blair were enriching themselves off their connection to Trump and taking their eyes off beleaguered Republican congressional campaigns — though some of their colleagues described them as remaining engaged remotely in the US election work.
“Chris LaCivita and James Blair are outside consultants. They do not work for me, other than as outside consultants. They most likely have numerous clients, but for that, you would have to ask them,” Trump fumed on Truth Social in his initial response on Oct. 7.
“They are allowed to do work for others, just like all consultants in Washington, D.C. I do not have any idea who else they work for but will, on reflection, ask them and, if there’s a conflict, I will terminate them, immediately!”
Blair, who masterminded a Republican redistricting drive this year to redraw House districts to favor the GOP, accompanied Trump to a campaign rally in South Carolina on Wednesday, indicating a thaw.
A White House official told The Post on Thursday that Trump did not seem to be upset with Blair or likely to blame him if Republicans are wiped out on Nov. 3, describing their conversations as businesslike and tactical.