Former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway made contact with three high-ranking Trump administration officials to encourage them to participate in events hosted by a Ukrainian oligarch and philanthropist for whom she serves as a consultant, according to a filing made pursuant to the Foreign Agents Registration Act. On two occasions, officials attended events in the weeks after their discussions with her.
According to a Sept. 29 filing with the Department of Justice, Conway had in-person discussions with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, special presidential envoy Ric Grenell, and special envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg on different days in June and August.
The goal of her activities was to make “best efforts to encourage influential US leaders to participate … in upcoming events or engagements organized by” her client, the UK Office of Victor Pinchuk Foundation, and the Yalta European Strategy, a yearly security conference hosted by Pinchuk.
Less than three weeks after Conway’s discussion with Kellogg in August, he participated in Yalta European Strategy’s annual summit in Kyiv, Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was also in attendance.
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“Ukraine’s not going to lose this war,” Kellogg told conference attendees.
Conway did not respond to a message and emails requesting comment.
Bessent, Grenell and Kellogg have had a hand in shaping President Donald Trump’s second-term policies on the war between Russia and Ukraine, the resolution of which has been a key focus of Trump’s. The administration’s position on Ukraine has evolved rapidly over the past year — a meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump officials devolved into a shouting match in February. As recently as last month, Trump said he believed Ukraine could win the war.
Pinchuk is a Ukrainian businessman, billionaire, philanthropist and oligarch who has been a prominent advocate for Ukraine during its war against Russia. Pinchuk’s foundation is not owned by or officially affiliated with the Ukrainian government, but its activities benefit Ukraine.
Conway registered her company, KAConsulting, as a foreign agent in August 2024, working on behalf of Pinchuk’s foundation. In those early filings, Conway said that Ukraine would be the “principal beneficiary” of her work.
Conway was a senior adviser and campaign manager in Trump’s first presidential campaign in 2016 and was senior counselor to Trump alongside Steve Bannon during Trump’s first presidency. She did not work for Trump’s subsequent campaigns, but reportedly remains a close confidant of the president’s.
This is not the first time Conway has made contact with senior Trump officials through her work for Pinchuk’s foundation. In January and February, Conway reported having in-person conversations with Grenell and Kellogg over other YES Foundation events. Conway had similar discussions with Sen. Joni Ernst, Sen. Lindsey Graham, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick and Rep. Mike Lawler.
Grenell, Ernst, and Lawler virtually attended an event hosted by Pinchuk’s foundation at the end of January, in the weeks after their discussions with Conway. NOTUS reached out to Bessent, Grenell, Kellogg, Ernst, Graham, Fitzpatrick, Lawler, Pinchuk’s foundation and the White House — no response was received before press time.
Conway is being paid $50,000 a month for her work, according to an initial contract that was extended through 2025. She is one of a number of former Trump administration officials who have elected to use their influence from outside of the administration, profiting off of it in the process.
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