Christina Pushaw, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Press Secretary, registered as a foreign agent who worked on behalf of a Ukrainian politician. The controversial spokesperson provided paid consultation for Mikheil Saakashvili, former President of the Republic of Georgia, between October 2018 and October 2020, according to federal disclosures received Monday. The disclosures were first reported by The Washington Post.

“Pushaw was hired as DeSantis’ Press Secretary in May 2021. She told Florida Politics none of her work with Saakashvili was related to her job in Florida. She referred further questions to her attorney, Michael Sherwin.

In an email to Florida Politics, Sherwin stressed Saakashvili is politically allied to current Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, an ally to the U.S.

“Starting in 2018, Ms. Pushaw did volunteer work helping to advocate for former Georgian President Miikheil Saakashvili, a close ally of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and the need for free elections and democratic institutions in Georgia where she was living at the time”, Sherwin wrote.

“She was then paid for some of that work, totaling USD 25,000 over two years, which covered some of her living expenses. Her efforts included writing op-eds, reaching out to supporters and officials, and advocating on his behalf in Georgia and in the United States”.

He told the Post that Pushaw only learned recently that she had to disclose the work to the federal government pursuant with the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938.

Pushaw wrote in her disclosure that from January to October 2018, she worked with Saakashvili “on a sporadic and voluntary basis with publicity advice”. She was later paid for similar work.

Disclosures show she was paid USD 10,000 on Oct. 28, 2018, then received another USD 10,000 payment on Aug. 30, 2020. Her last reported payment, for USD 5,000, came on Oct. 31, 2020.

Pushaw detailed her work for Saakashvili in greater detail in the federal disclosures”, - writes The Washington Post.