United States President Donald Trump has appointed Nigerian-born lobbyist, Dr Karl Von Batten, as a commissioner on a White House presidential commission.
Von Batten, managing partner of Washington-based policy advisory and advocacy firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., was appointed to the position on Wednesday, September 2, 2026.
The appointment was announced by his firm on Thursday through its verified X account.
In the announcement, the firm said Von Batten was honoured by the appointment and expressed his appreciation to President Trump for the confidence placed in him.
“Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C. is proud to announce that President Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) has appointed our Managing Partner, Dr Karl Von Batten, to serve the United States of America as a Commissioner on a @WhiteHouse presidential commission,” the firm said.
The firm added that Von Batten was “deeply grateful to President Trump” for the appointment, describing it as an honour that reflected his commitment to public service and leadership.
The specific White House commission to which Von Batten has been appointed was not identified in the announcement.
The appointment has attracted attention in Nigerian political circles because of Von Batten’s previous lobbying work for former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Atiku engaged Von Batten-Montague-York in March 2026 under a 12-month lobbying arrangement reportedly valued at $1.2 million.
Von Batten’s appointment comes amid renewed attention to his lobbying activities and his firm’s campaign concerning the release of United States records relating to Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
His firm has also alleged that it was offered $3 million to abandon that campaign, although the allegation has not been independently established.
Von Batten had earlier disclosed an appointment to the Export-Import Bank of the United States’ Sub-Saharan Africa Advisory Committee in March 2026.
The latest appointment places the Nigerian-born lobbyist in a new role within the Trump administration as political attention continues to build around his activities in Washington and his connections to Nigerian political figures.
