Canada’s embassy in the U.S. hired a lobby firm led by a former Republican director to help it influence American audiences through social media, U.S. federal documents show.

According to a filing made under the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), the Canadian embassy in Washington hired Cogent Strategies as a social media consultant. The company, described on its website as a bipartisan strategic advisory firm, is headed and was founded by Kimberley Fritts, whose LinkedIn profile describes her as a “fixture in Republican politics at the state, regional and national level for years.”

Kimberley Fritts, a former Republican party director, is now the CEO and founder of Cogent Strategies, a strategic advisory firm. (Kimberley Fritts/LinkedIn)

Fritts also previously served as a regional director with the Republican National Committee and was the deputy campaign manager for Republican Jeb Bush’s campaign for Florida governor in the 1990s.

As described in the FARA filing, the contract work included examining how U.S. audiences consume information online, assessing which platforms they rely on, determining where national versus region-specific messaging is more effective, how “Al-driven content discovery influences message reach” and making recommendations to “optimize engagement.”

The pay for the contract, which ran from Feb. 18 to March 31, was $34,300, according to the IJF’s procurement database records.

The FARA filing outlines challenges Canadian representatives in the U.S. are facing online.

“Evolving resource constraints, shifting platform algorithms and the ever-growing problem of echo chambers on certain platforms have highlighted the need to reassess how the [embassy and consulates use] social media to maximize reach and influence,” the filing states. “As a result, the use of social media is being re-evaluated to ensure the most effective use of platforms.”

The filing notes that the Canadian embassy and consulates in the U.S. manage 68 social media accounts, including on Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn. Social media allows the network of the embassy and consulates to “support public diplomacy and strategic communications objectives,” states the filing.

The U.S. Department of Justice requires people or firms hired by foreign governments to lobby or do public relations work to file disclosures under FARA.

The IJF requested comment from Global Affairs Canada and Cogent Strategies but did not hear back.

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