Rep. Celeste Maloy, a Utah Republican, is urging the Treasury Department to probe whether Bosnian officials engaged in sanctionable conduct surrounding the removal of former Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik.
In a letter to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), Maloy called for an investigation into then-High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina Christian Schmidt and the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina (‘CEC’) to “remove democratically elected President of Republika Srpska.”
The letter, obtained by The Daily Caller, says that the OFAC is “in receipt of materials alleging that the actions of Mr. Schmidt and CEC constitute interference with a democratic process within the scope of existing U.S. sanctions authorities applicable to the Western Balkans, or otherwise constitute sanctionable conduct under the Global Magnitsky sanctions program.”
The United States imposed sanctions on Dodik in 2017 and expanded them in 2022. They were later lifted in 2025.
Earlier this year, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent to impose sanctions on Dodik. “We write with concern regarding the actions, rhetoric and foreign influence operations of former president of the Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik and his associates which carry considerable implications for the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Grassley, joined by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) wrote. “On January 9, 2026, Mr. Dodik, along with current and former Republika Srpska government officials, organized and participated in the Commemoration Ceremony of Republika Srpska Day, despite decisions of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina regarding observance of that Day.”
“It is clear that Mr. Dodik’s recent actions merit sustained and close scrutiny,” the letter read. “From organizing and participating in events deemed unconstitutional by Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Constitutional Court to amplifying divisive rhetoric and advocating for Republika Srpska’s withdrawal from the Dayton framework, his conduct directly threatens regional stability. His engagement with foreign entities to advance independence further underscores the urgency of a U.S. response.”
