Jacob Ogles
Denmark’s U.S. Embassy just hired Mercury Public Affairs to lobby on the nation’s behalf in Washington.
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles recently worked at the high-stakes public affairs group, serving as Co-Chair of the firm’s Florida and Washington offices. Wiles also ran President Donald Trump’s successful 2024 presidential campaign, and previously headed U.S. Sen. Rick Scott’s campaign for Florida Governor.
She is no longer listed as part of Mercury’s team since taking over as Trump’s top staffer. But hiring Wiles’ former employer could provide the Danish government with some important influence at a time when Trump continues to make a case for the U.S. taking control of Greenland.
The world’s largest island remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark right now, and has pushed back on any discussion of a U.S. annexation.
Denmark’s Washington Ambassador, Jesper Møller Sørensen, agreed to the contract terms, forms show. Official disclosures filed and signed by Mercury partner David Vitter, as required by the Foreign Agents Registration Act, show the firm was hired for a four-month duration for $263,000.
Per those documents, the firm was hired to conduct strategic consulting, public affairs, marketing
and communications.
Vitter previously served as a U.S. Senator from Louisiana and a key member of Mercury’s International Affairs team. Mercury Partner Ashley Walker is also listed on the disclosures as the tenderer of funds. The forms show the contract work will be done by Ashley Bauman, Trent Lefkowitz, Scott Pollenz and James Anderson,
Mercury has conducted lobbying work in the past for a number of foreign clients and governments across six continents with “particular specialization in (Northern and Sub-Saharan) Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East, China and the Indo-Pacific.”
Discussion of potential U.S. takeover dominated Greenland elections in March, according to EU Observer. The election was won by Denmark’s center-right Democrats, who campaigned on a desire to make Greenland independent of the U.S. and Denmark.
