Last Updated on February 10, 2025
Investigative journalist Michael Shellenberger shared findings this week, supporting the high probability that USAID and the CIA collaborated to impeach President Trump in 2019.
Shellenberger’s compelling series of X posts, which began on Monday, reveals troubling aspects of how the U.S. government has used USAID to finance “independent media”. Many of these outlets, under the guise of independent journalism, have secured USAID money to influence political regimes abroad and, in some disturbing cases, within the United States itself.
Shellenberger noted that USAID often claims to work solely on charity and development in impoverished regions, but its real operations appear much more aligned with promoting regime changes worldwide, with funding reaching upwards of $40 billion.
Wednesday, Shellenberger also appeared on Fox News with Jesse Watters to further present his evidence.
The 2019 impeachment of President Donald Trump was a contentious and highly political event, but it appears there may have been more at play than a simple political dispute. A whistleblower complaint, filed in relation to the President’s interactions with Ukraine, served as the basis for the impeachment. It accused President Trump of withholding military aid to Ukraine to pressure the country into investigating former President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden.
Investigations into the whistleblower’s claims raise serious concerns, however. It has now come to light that the whistleblower—a CIA analyst—was deeply tied to the Obama administration. Furthermore, this same analyst relied heavily on a report from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) – a group that was closely connected to U.S. government funding.
The OCCRP, presented as an independent journalistic entity, relies on funding from U.S. government agencies like USAID, creating a potentially dangerous conflict of interest.
Shellenberger articulated the danger of these connections, this way:
The CIA, USAID, and OCCRP were all involved in the impeachment of President Trump in ways similar to the regime change operations that all three organizations engage in abroad. The difference here is that it is highly illegal and even treasonous for CIA, USAID, and its contractors and intermediaries, often as “cut-outs,” to interfere in US politics in this way.
OCCRP’s reporting was pivotal to the impeachment narrative, with its investigation alleging connections between Rudy Giuliani and Ukrainian businessmen, as well as accusations that President Trump had orchestrated a foreign intervention in U.S. politics. The claim was critical in shaping the House Democrats’ argument that President Trump was abusing his office for personal gain by soliciting foreign interference in the 2020 presidential election.
Further investigation into OCCRP’s ties with U.S. government agencies reveals a troubling picture. A 2024 documentary produced by German broadcaster NDR, alongside investigative outlets like Drop Site News and Latvia-based Mediapart, revealed that USAID plays a significant role in funding OCCRP, even approving its annual work plans and key personnel. Moreover, in a documentary aired by NDR, it was revealed that OCCRP’s founder, Drew Sullivan, has openly admitted that his organization had been involved in influencing political outcomes in several countries, including ousting prime ministers.
🚨BREAKING: Michael Shellenberger tells Jesse Watters that USAID and the CIA are linked to Donald Trump’s impeachment.
pic.twitter.com/AjeTfCLjsf— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) February 6, 2025
Sullivan’s comments and the financial ties between OCCRP and U.S. government entities raise serious concerns about the role these organizations played in what some consider a domestic coup d’etat. The involvement of the CIA, USAID, and OCCRP, in both foreign and domestic political matters, create a scenario in which the integrity of U.S. democracy could be undermined by foreign-style regime change tactics.
Despite threats from OCCRP to sue Shellenberger for exposing these links, the evidence appears to support the allegations. Shellenberger shared details of a threatening letter received by OCCRP:
In response to questions we sent to OCCRP, it threatened to file a lawsuit against us. “The premise of your article is factually false and defamatory,” wrote Miranda Patrucic, the Editor in Chief of OCCRP, in an email to us. “The claim by Dropsite News and partner media that USAID has control over editorial appointments has been disproven,” she wrote, “and we suggest you read our response to that.”
But neither OCCRP nor anyone else has disproved Drop Site’s allegations and Drop Site stands by them. And the evidence does not support OCCRP’s claim of journalistic independence.”
This story is not isolated. As Shellenberger, DOGE, and other investigative journalists have pointed out, U.S. government-backed media organizations, such as NPR and PBS, have long been criticized for their perceived left-leaning bias. For years, the American public has been exposed to media outlets that, whether intentionally or unintentionally, have been shaped by government interests, presenting a particular view of events that often aligns with political agendas rather than unbiased journalism.
The events surrounding President Trump’s impeachment and the influence of government-funded media organizations provide a sobering reminder of the need for transparency and accountability, especially when the stakes involve the very foundation of our Republic.
