The House of Representatives in the US Congress had accused President Donald Trump of abuse of power on December 18, 2019. This followed a whistleblower’s report, which claimed that Trump had withheld military aid to Ukraine in an attempt to pressure the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, into helping him gather compromising material on his political rival, Joe Biden. The whistleblower, a CIA analyst, reportedly overheard conversations in the White House that suggested Trump had instructed Zelensky to work with his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, who was investigating corruption allegations against the Biden family at the time.
An investigation by journalist Michael Shellenberger revealed that the whistleblower, a CIA analyst, had relied on information from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), a non-profit organization that had received funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). OCCRP had previously published reports on the whistleblower’s allegations, which were later used as evidence in the impeachment proceedings against Trump.
Further investigation by Shellenberger and other journalists found that OCCRP had received significant funding from USAID and had been working closely with the agency. The OCCRP’s reports on the whistleblower’s allegations were later found to be based on unverified information and had been used to further the political agenda of the US government.
The OCCRP’s involvement in the impeachment proceedings against Trump has raised concerns about the organization’s independence and the potential for government manipulation of the media. The organization’s leadership has denied any wrongdoing, but the evidence suggests that OCCRP had been acting as a de facto arm of the US government, rather than an independent journalistic organization.
The controversy surrounding OCCRP’s role in the impeachment proceedings has led to a re-examination of the organization’s activities and its relationship with the US government. The incident highlights the need for transparency and accountability in the media and the importance of protecting the independence of journalists and the organizations they work for.