Several individuals with connections to NSO Group also share links with former President Donald Trump. Bryan Lanza, a partner at Mercury Public Affairs, a firm that consulted for NSO from 2020 to 2021, is recognized as a long-time Trump ally. Michael Flynn, Trump’s former national security adviser, reportedly received nearly $100,000 from NSO Group’s parent companies. He was subsequently appointed by Trump to a West Point advisory board. Jeff Miller, a major fundraiser for Trump, received $170,000 from an NSO-linked company and was observed at Trump’s 2024 election event at Mar-a-Lago. Rod Rosenstein, previously Trump’s deputy attorney general, represented NSO Group in a lawsuit and had earlier assisted in justifying the firing of FBI Director James Comey.
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, Chartwell Strategy Group, Paul Hastings LLP, and Steptoe LLP, along with Flynn, Miller, and Rosenstein, did not provide comments when contacted by WIRED. Tamasi also did not respond in time for publication.
As of early March, before the Vogel Group registered as a lobbyist for NSO Group, there were no signals from the Trump administration about plans to remove NSO from the Entity List, a source knowledgeable about the administration’s spyware policies disclosed on condition of anonymity. NSO Group’s Lavie has downplayed the impact of the Entity List on their U.S. operations, stating in an Israeli podcast that despite the “blacklist,” the company could still conduct business in the United States. Lavie elaborated that the listing requires American companies to seek permission before selling technology to NSO, framing it as a regulatory formality.
Lobbying efforts take different focuses depending on whether the target is the executive branch or Congress. Lobbyists aiming at the executive branch aim to influence enforcement actions, while lobbying Congress involves shaping legislation. Removal from the Entity List involves a comprehensive administrative process requiring interagency review, although Congress has no direct role in this process.
During the transition period between presidential administrations, NSO Group concentrated on Congress, engaging with at least 10 Republican senators, representatives, and their staff, before shifting their focus to the incoming administration. On February 2, NSO shared its annual transparency report with Trump’s new deputy national security adviser, Alex Wong.