A United States court document has shown that Karl Von Batten, a lobbyist hired by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, was convicted and sentenced over an assault against his then-girlfriend in 2003.
The judgment of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, obtained by TheCable, identified Von Batten as Karl M.E. Okeke.
The court document said Von Batten and Cynthia D. Murphy began a romantic relationship in April 2003, but their relationship later became strained.
On July 4, 2003, Murphy attended a party at Von Batten’s apartment, where they consumed alcoholic beverages.
During the gathering, Murphy learnt from Von Batten’s roommate that she had also had a sexual relationship with him.
The disclosure led to an argument between Murphy and Von Batten.
The appellate court said Von Batten assaulted Murphy during the altercation, leaving her with injuries including a black eye, swollen face, bruises and cuts inside her mouth.
Murphy subsequently called 911 and was taken to George Washington University Hospital for treatment.
The court said Von Batten was sentenced on December 10, 2003, following a misdemeanor bench trial.
He was sentenced to 180 days in jail, although the sentence was suspended.
He was instead placed on one year of probation and ordered to stay away from Murphy, complete 50 hours of community service, participate in a domestic violence counselling programme and contribute to the Crime Victim’s Compensation Fund.
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TheCable said it could not immediately confirm whether Von Batten appealed the conviction, noting that correspondence sent to him had not received a response at the time of publication.
The court document arose from an appeal filed by Murphy concerning a civil protection order issued after she failed to leave Von Batten’s apartment when asked to do so.
The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia overturned the lower court’s decision and ordered that the protection order against Murphy be vacated.
The judgment was delivered on July 3, 2008, by Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, Stephen Glickman and John Ferren.
Atiku hired Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., a Washington-based lobbying firm founded by Von Batten, in April 2026.
A Foreign Agents Registration Act filing with the US Department of Justice showed that the lobbying contract was worth $1.2 million annually.
The lobbyist’s background has since attracted public scrutiny, including questions about his identity and names.
On his LinkedIn profile, his full name is listed as Karl-Marx Edward Ikemefuna William George Okeke-Von Batten, while the 2008 US court document identified him as Karl M.E. Okeke.
The lobbying firm also deleted an X post announcing that Von Batten had purportedly been appointed by US President Donald Trump as a commissioner on a White House presidential commission.
However, there was no official communication from the White House confirming or denying the purported appointment.
The Cable
