A breakfast for “Friends of Bermuda” was among the engagements attended by the Premier in Washington while teams on the island battled against a massive cyberattack that hit government systems.

Guests at the event included a congresswoman who introduced legislation in the United States to boost state-level cybersecurity.

David Burt stuck to his travel plans after he announced an incident that knocked out government IT systems appeared to have its origins in “an external source, most likely from Russia”.

He said last Monday, after an earlier-than-planned return to Bermuda, that meetings confirmed in Washington took “in some instances, months of engagement to secure”.

Mr Burt, who is also the Minister of Finance, added: “Direct interaction with key US legislators and key members of their staff is difficult to secure at the best of times, and I determined that keeping those meetings, as well as a discussion to advance foreign direct investment in Bermuda, was necessary.”

The Royal Gazette asked the Government about whom the Premier met, what the talks were about and what were the outcomes.

Questions also included how much the trip cost the public purse and whether any meetings were postponed or cancelled, for any reason.

A government spokeswoman replied: “The expenses associated with the trip to Washington DC will be reported in the usual manner.

“The Premier was scheduled to return on Monday. However, he returned on Sunday the 24th instead.”

Karen Grissette, the US Consul-General, said in an interview with Bermuda Broadcasting Company, which aired on Wednesday, that she attended an event of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference in Washington with Mr Burt and members of each of their teams.

She added: “There were a number of events over the course of the weekend including a Friends of Bermuda breakfast, on the margins of the Congressional Black Caucus, where there were a number of US representatives from insurers and reinsurers who are also present on the island.

“The Premier was able to talk about the importance of Bermuda to the US insurance-holders where Bermuda has paid out over $1 trillion to US insurance-holders.

“It’s an incredibly important relationship between the United States and Bermuda, as we know, not only to Bermuda but to the United States as well.”

An invitation to the breakfast showed it was scheduled for 9am on September 22, less than 20 hours after the island learnt about the cyberattack.

A spokeswoman for the US Consulate General told the Gazette last week: “The Friends of Bermuda breakfast was a special breakfast reception at the Bermuda Government’s Washington DC office.

“The breakfast engaged ‘friends of Bermuda’ for an opportunity to network and engage with legislators, senior policymakers and industry leaders in the re/insurance and digital assets sectors.

“Premier Burt, Bermuda representative [Anthony] Howell and Consul-General Grissette delivered remarks on Bermuda’s longstanding ties with the United States and discussed the essential role that Bermuda's re/insurance and digital asset industries play in fortifying this relationship.

“The reception explored new avenues for mutual economic growth.”

She added: “In addition to many distinguished guests, US congresswoman Yvette Clarke, NY-9 [9th District of New York] was in attendance, as well as former member of Congress G.K. Butterfield.”

Ms Clarke’s biography said she was a “leader in the tech and media policy space”.

Her website showed that in May 2021 she introduced the bipartisan State and Local Cybersecurity Improvement Act, which was designed to authorise a Department of Homeland Security grant programme to address cybersecurity vulnerabilities in state and local government networks.

Ms Clarke said then: “Cybersecurity is a national security issue, and this legislation prioritises it as such.”

She added: “Cyber and ransomware attacks against state and local agencies have increased substantially, and let me be very clear, this cannot go unaddressed.

“The lack of resources and prioritisation of preventive measures have left many state and local agencies vulnerable.

“Moving forward, as chairwoman of the Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection and Innovation Subcommittee, I plan to continue introducing legislation that fortifies our cybersecurity and prioritises preventive action.”

Mr Butterfield was a North Carolina representative for more than 18 years until his resignation last December to take up a position as an adviser at a Washington law firm.

The US Consulate spokeswoman said it was customary to co-ordinate with the Bermuda Government before any official meetings with US executive branch offices, such as the Department of Commerce, which was earlier said by Ms Grissette to have hosted a delegation from the island.

The spokeswoman added: “The US Consulate enjoys a strong relationship with the Premier’s office as well as with Bermuda’s representative in the United States.”

She said: “The US Consulate organised meetings with Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development Jessica G. Cavazos and senior officials from the International Trade Agency, which are both agencies of the US Department of Commerce.

“The Minority Business Development Agency promotes the growth of minority-owned businesses through the mobilisation and advancement of public and private sector programmes, policy and research, and is interested in sharing best practices with Bermuda and promoting additional US-Bermuda trade.

“In the same meeting were senior leaders from the International Trade Administration, which has a focus on promoting US exports and attracting inbound investment.”

Information about trips made by ministers is published on the Government’s travel calendar, where the most recent item listed was more than $7,500 spent when Owen Darrell, the youth, culture and sports minister, and others attended a Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting in London in September.

The government spokeswoman was asked last week if reporting expenses in the “usual manner” meant the online travel calendar and when it was expected to be updated.

Further comment was also invited about the breakfast event and meeting with Department of Commerce agencies.

No additional responses were provided by the time of publication.