Havas Media Group USA (via Germany GmbH)
Havas Media Germany GmbH is the central routing node for Israeli government influence operations in the United States. Our investigation has documented $150M+ in campaign budgets flowing through the Frankfurt intermediary to US-based FARA registrants.
Corporate History
Havas Media Group is one of the world's largest advertising and media conglomerates. Founded in 1835 by Charles-Louis Havas as a news agency in Paris, it is the oldest international news and advertising agency in the world.
The modern Havas Group operates through two main divisions: Havas Creative (advertising) and Havas Media (media planning and buying). In 2017, Vivendi SE — the French media conglomerate controlled by billionaire Vincent Bolloré — acquired a controlling stake in Havas Group, integrating it into the Vivendi empire alongside Universal Music Group, Canal+, and other media properties.
Havas Media Germany GmbH, based in Frankfurt, serves as the critical intermediary entity in the Israeli government's US influence operations. Rather than contracting directly with US-based firms, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Tourism route their funding through the German subsidiary. This creates an additional layer of corporate separation between the foreign government principal and the US-based agents executing the campaigns.
The Frankfurt routing predates the 2025 contracts. Havas Media Group USA's #6622 Exhibit AB (stamped 2018-12-21) attaches an agreement between LAPAM and Havas Media Frankfurt GmbH executed August 1, 2014, for Israel Ministry of Tourism media buying, and says the registrant did not commence activity in the United States until March 2015. Havas Media Germany GmbH itself does not appear as a FARA registrant in the record; Havas Media Group USA LLC registered as #6622 (terminated 2018-12-31) and #7106 (2022-04-08 to 2025-10-31). The Israeli Government Advertising Agency (LAPAM) contracts with Havas Media Germany, which then sub-contracts to US-based entities including Clock Tower X LLC (Brad Parscale, $9M), Show Faith by Works LLC (Chad Schnitger, $3.26M requested budget), and Bridges Partners LLC (Esther Project, $900K).
This intermediary structure is significant because it means the Israeli government does not appear as the direct contracting party in US operations. Instead, a German corporate entity serves as the fiscal and operational buffer. All major Israel advocacy contracts in the US flow through this Frankfurt node.
Per FARA filings, Havas Media's US operations on behalf of Israel have included: tourism promotion campaigns, anti-antisemitism digital campaigns, church geofencing programs targeting 303 megachurches, AI-driven SEO manipulation, evangelical Christian influencer recruitment, and strategic communications.
The total budget routed through the Havas intermediary structure exceeds $150 million across all programs, making it one of the largest foreign influence operations documented in FARA filings.
Investigation Summary
Havas Media Germany GmbH is the central routing node for Israeli government influence operations in the United States. Our investigation has documented $150M+ in campaign budgets flowing through the Frankfurt intermediary to US-based FARA registrants.
Key findings:
• ALL major Israel-to-US advocacy contracts route through Havas Media Germany — not directly from the Israeli government
• The Frankfurt routing creates corporate separation between the foreign principal (Israel) and US agents
• Sub-contractors include Brad Parscale's Clock Tower X ($9M), Show Faith by Works ($3.26M requested budget for church geofencing), and Bridges Partners ($900K for the Esther Project)
• Havas Media has filed FARA documents under #6622, all stamped 2018-12-21, including a registration statement, supplemental statements, and short forms for 27 individual agents
• The parent company Vivendi SE (controlled by Vincent Bolloré) has its own history of media influence operations globally
• LAPAM (Israeli Government Advertising Agency) is the contracting entity within the Israeli government
Unanswered Questions
Why does Israel route US influence operations through a German intermediary rather than contracting directly?
What is the full scope of Vivendi/Bolloré's involvement in government influence campaigns globally?
How many additional US entities receive funding through the Havas Germany pipeline that have not yet registered under FARA?
What is the relationship between Havas Media's commercial advertising clients and its government influence work?
Are there other foreign governments using the same Havas intermediary structure?
What role does LAPAM (Israeli Government Advertising Agency) play in selecting and directing US-based agents?
How does the $150M+ budget compare to other foreign influence operations registered under FARA?
Red Flags
Frankfurt routing structure creates deliberate corporate separation from foreign principal
$150M+ total budget — one of the largest foreign influence operations in FARA history
27 individual agents registered on Short Forms (all stamped 2018-12-21) — massive personnel footprint
Sub-contractors target religious institutions (303 megachurches) with foreign government messaging
AI/SEO manipulation campaigns designed to shape online discourse
Parent company Vivendi controlled by Vincent Bolloré — known for media influence operations
Multiple contract amendments suggest evolving operational scope
Related Entities
Corporate Structure
Key Personnel (6)
Patricia Nacer
Havas Media USA — Registered Agent
Primary FARA registrant for Havas Media US operations. Filed registration statement and multiple short forms.
Sarah Jane Alliott
Havas Media — Agent
Filed FARA Short Form under Havas Media registration
Bonnie Barest
Havas Media — Agent
Filed FARA Short Form under Havas Media registration
Diana Bernstein
Havas Media — Agent
Filed FARA Short Form under Havas Media registration
Vincent Bolloré
Chairman, Vivendi SE (Ultimate Parent)
French billionaire who controls Vivendi, which owns Havas Group. Known for using media acquisitions for political influence in France and Africa.
Yannick Bolloré
Chairman, Havas Group
Son of Vincent Bolloré. Oversees all Havas operations globally including the Israel government contracts.
Documented Money Flows (5)
Master intermediary contract for all US influence operations
Anti-antisemitism campaigns, AI/SEO, evangelical targeting
Church geofencing — first payment, before registration (Exhibit AB budget $3,258,961)
Esther Project — Christian influencer recruitment ($7K/post). Order dated 2025-06-16 schedules $900,000 for June–November 2025; the filings report one $199,985 advance (2025-07-03) and no receipts since
Social media promotion, "Swords of Iron" campaign, Jan 16–31, 2024
FARA Documents (44)
Event Timeline
FARA Compliance Notes
Havas Media is FARA-registered and files required documents
The Frankfurt routing structure, while legal, raises questions about transparency
27 individual agents registered (Short Forms stamped 2018-12-21) — one of the largest personnel footprints in FARA
Sub-contractor relationships are documented in FARA filings
Legal Disclaimer
This profile is based on publicly available FARA filings, corporate records, and news reporting. Havas Media Group is a legally registered foreign agent under FARA. The analysis presented represents AFTorg's interpretation of public records and is provided for educational purposes. Havas Media Group has not been found guilty of any wrongdoing.
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Share on XSOURCE ATTRIBUTION: All information on this page is derived from publicly available records including FARA registrations filed with the U.S. Department of Justice, IRS Form 990 filings, state corporate records, SEC filings, and attributed news reporting. This analysis is provided for educational purposes by Americans for Transparency (AFTorg). See our Legal Framework and Editorial Standards.
From the DOJ record
Havas Media Group USA LLC: what the FARA filings show
- Is Havas Media Group USA LLC a registered foreign agent?
- Havas Media Group USA LLC was registered with the U.S. Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) as registrant No. 6622 since Dec 21, 2018. DOJ lists the registration as terminated on Dec 31, 2018.
- Who does Havas Media Group USA LLC work for?
- Its filings name 2 foreign principals: Government of Israel, Ministryof Tourism (through the Israeli Government Advertising Agency LAPAM) (Israel) and Government of Israel, Ministry of Tourism (through the Israeli Government Advertising Agency LAPAM) (Israel). Under FARA, a foreign principal is the foreign government, party, company or person on whose behalf a registrant acts.
- Who works on Havas Media Group USA LLC's FARA registration?
- 27 people have filed a short-form registration statement under this registration, the form FARA requires of each person who acts for the foreign principal: Alliott, Sarah Jane, Austria, Virgilio, Barest, Bonnie, Bernstein, Diana, Brown, Aaron N., Chen, Mary, Clarke, Mark, Crowell Eberle, Caroline, Fernando, Leo Franco, Isselbacher, Adam, Joseph Toussaint, Charmaine, Kanefsky, Jason, Leach, Elisabeth, Leach, Russell, Leung, Nelson, Lui, Caleb, Miller Alper, Tricia, Miller, Alexandra, Nacer, Patricia, Panosian, Joseph, Robin, Clemence, Shabazz, Cheyla, Shahid, Jennah, Sheffron, Paul and Stanley, Nichole, and 2 more.
- What has Havas Media Group USA LLC filed with the Justice Department?
- DOJ's public file holds 44 current filings for the registration, the most recent an Informational Materials stamped Dec 21, 2018. By type: 27 Short-Form, 8 Informational Materials, 6 Supplemental Statement, 1 Exhibit C, 1 Registration Statement and 1 Exhibit AB. The filings are public at efile.fara.gov.
Most recent filings
- Dec 21, 2018Informational Materials — Government of Israel, Ministry of Tourism (through the Israeli Government Advertising Agency LAPAM)
- Dec 21, 2018Supplemental Statement
- Dec 21, 2018Informational Materials — Government of Israel, Ministry of Tourism (through the Israeli Government Advertising Agency LAPAM)
- Dec 21, 2018Exhibit C
- Dec 21, 2018Informational Materials — Government of Israel, Ministryof Tourism (through the Israeli Government Advertising Agency LAPAM)
- Dec 21, 2018Informational Materials — Government of Israel, Ministryof Tourism (through the Israeli Government Advertising Agency LAPAM)
- Dec 21, 2018Informational Materials — Government of Israel, Ministryof Tourism (through the Israeli Government Advertising Agency LAPAM)
- Dec 21, 2018Informational Materials — Government of Israel, Ministryof Tourism (through the Israeli Government Advertising Agency LAPAM)
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, FARA eFile, registration No. 6622. Read from AFTorg's copy of the DOJ record, refreshed several times a day. A FARA registration is a public disclosure; it is not a finding of wrongdoing.