A new investigation published on Monday by France’s Mediapart, along with its partners—Drop Site News from the US, Il Fatto Quotidiano from Italy, and Reporters United from Greece—has revealed a surprising secret: the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), the largest investigative journalism network in the world, is being secretly controlled by the US government. The investigation suggests that Washington has a lot more influence over the OCCRP than anyone realized.
The US Funds Half of the OCCRP’s Budget
Since the OCCRP was founded in 2008, the US government has given the organization over $47 million. That’s around half of the OCCRP’s total budget, making the US the largest donor by far. While the OCCRP insists that government funding doesn’t affect its journalism, many critics believe that such a large amount of money could be influencing their reporting, especially when it comes to the US government’s interests.
The US Has a Say in OCCRP Leadership
It gets even more surprising. Not only does the US government provide significant funding, but it also has the power to influence the OCCRP’s leadership. According to agreements between the OCCRP and the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the US government must approve key appointments within the organization. This includes deciding who becomes the publisher and other senior leaders. The US has the right to veto these appointments, even though the OCCRP’s founder, Drew Sullivan, claims this veto power has never been used.
The OCCRP’s Beginnings: A Secret US Government Grant
The OCCRP’s origins are closely tied to a secret US government grant. In 2007, the US State Department gave $1.7 million to start the OCCRP, funneled through a group controlled by Sullivan. This means that the entire investigative network began with US government support, raising even more questions about how independent its work really is.
Who Else is Funding the OCCRP?
While the US government is the biggest funder, the OCCRP also receives money from other sources, including George Soros’s Open Society Foundations (OSF). But it’s the US funding that stands out because of its size and the power the US government holds over the OCCRP’s operations.
Investigations Targeting Countries the US Disapproves Of
One of the most eye-opening parts of the investigation is how the US has influenced the OCCRP’s choice of investigation targets. The US government has funded investigations into countries that it sees as adversaries, like Russia and Venezuela. For example, the US gave $2.2 million for the OCCRP to investigate Russian media and $2.3 million to explore corruption in Cyprus and Malta, which have strong Russian business ties. This raises a red flag about whether the OCCRP’s reporting is being shaped by US political interests.
OCCRP Reports Used to Justify US Sanctions
The OCCRP’s reports have also been used by the US government to justify sanctions against countries like Russia and Venezuela. Through the Global Anti-Corruption Consortium (GACC), a program co-financed by the US State Department, the OCCRP’s findings are linked to sanctions and legal actions. This means that the OCCRP’s work directly influences US foreign policy, especially in countries the US considers enemies.
Is OCCRP a Tool for US Propaganda?
Given its close ties to the US government, critics argue that the OCCRP is not just an independent journalistic network but a tool used by the US to promote its foreign policy agenda. While the OCCRP insists it operates independently, its funding sources and the political interests it supports suggest that its investigations might not be as unbiased as it claims.
In conclusion, the findings from Mediapart and its partners paint a picture of an organization whose work is heavily influenced by the US government. Despite claiming to be independent, the OCCRP’s financial dependence on the US and the influence Washington holds over its operations raise serious questions about the objectivity of its reporting.
