The US government secretly controls roughly one-half of the funding for the world’s largest investigative journalism network, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), a joint investigation by Mediapart, Drop Site News, Il Fatto Quotidiano, and others has revealed. The probe also found that the US exerts veto power over OCCRP’s leadership and editorial direction.
The OCCRP’s funding, and its ties to Washington, raise serious questions about the use of investigative journalism as a foreign policy tool.
Launched in 2008 and initially focused on exposing corruption and organized crime in the Balkans, the OCCRP now operates with a budget of €20 million and a team of 200 journalists worldwide, and works with over 70 media partners, including big names such as the New York Times, The Guardian, and Der Spiegel.
It has grown into the world’s foremost international investigative journalism player, known for work such as The Panama Papers and the Pegasus Project.
The investigation, led by Mediapart and published on Monday, reveals that Washington not only provides substantial financial support – $47 million from US state sources since its inception – but has the power to control leadership appointments.
US influence extends to steering the group’s investigations towards specific countries such as Russia and Venezuela, the report adds.
Drew Sullivan, the OCCRP’s co-founder and publisher, confirmed that the US government remains its largest donor, with USAID and other federal agencies also contributing millions to the organization over the years.
US funding is crucial to OCCRP operations, Sullivan admitted. The money, however, comes with conditions.
The US government has the right to veto key personnel at the OCCRP, including Sullivan himself.
Washington also requires the organization to use its funds for investigative projects targeting specific countries, such as Russia, Venezuela, and other geopolitical interests.
The US government has also weaponized OCCRP’s reporting by fueling judicial investigations, sanctions, and lobbying based on the organization’s findings.
According to USAID’s Mike Henning, the OCCRP’s work is seen as a key tool for advancing US foreign policy.
Critics argue the close relationship with the US government compromises the organization’s editorial independence. “It makes the US seem virtuous and allows them to set the agenda of what is defined as corruption,” said a director of a South American media outlet that worked with the OCCRP.
Despite its claims of editorial independence, OCCRP’s reliance on US government funding compromises any neutrality it might claim.
https://www.rt.com/news/608629-occrp-secretly-funded-us-government/