2 Trump campaign aides were dueling for a Turkish lobbying gig during the 2016 campaign

Donald Trump on the campaign trail.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Two of President Trump's former campaign aides were locked in a duel with each other to win a massive lobbying contract with a pair of Turkish businessmen — including one with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin — during the lead-up to the election, Reuters reports.

Former CIA Director James Woolsey met with Turkish businessmen Ekim Alptekin and Sezgin Baran Korkmaz eight days before joining the Trump campaign to pitch the pair on a $10 million contract with him and his wife, Nancye Miller, that would have aimed to discredit a Pennsylvania-based cleric who has been a thorn in the side of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.