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USAID channeled $270 million to the East West Management Institute (EWMI), a nonprofit linked to George Soros’s network. Critics argue that just $9 million was enough to destabilize Albania’s judicial system, allegedly weaponized by Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama to imprison political opponents. The use of U.S. taxpayer funds for such initiatives raises serious concerns about foreign aid oversight.

USAID’s Role in Judicial Reform

The Washington Examiner documentary How Biden Aided Soros’s Favorite Narco-State reveals how USAID-funded initiatives promoted leftist agendas worldwide. In 2018, USAID backed Albania’s Justice for All campaign, managed by EWMI, which received over $270 million in U.S. government grants over 15 years. In fiscal year 2024 alone, EWMI secured $31.2 million, including $10 million before President Donald Trump froze USAID’s budget in fiscal 2025.

USAID initially allocated $9 million under the Obama administration to launch the judicial reform project. Republican lawmakers warned that the reforms granted excessive control to Albania’s ruling party. USAID defended the initiative, stating that strong legal institutions were necessary for democracy. Anne M. Trice, the project’s director, echoed this sentiment, despite earning a taxpayer-funded salary of nearly $250,000 annually.

USAID’s Global Influence and Trump’s Freeze

EWMI’s primary income source is U.S. government grants. Its projects include a $3.5 million civil society program in Uzbekistan and a $6.4 million anti-corruption initiative in Kyrgyzstan. Trump’s decision to halt USAID’s $40 billion budget came in response to growing concerns about U.S. funds supporting politically motivated agendas.

With $31.2 million annually flowing to EWMI, critics argue that the damage from $9 million in Albania is only a fraction of the global impact. Trump’s freeze sought to prevent further misuse of taxpayer dollars in foreign political conflicts.

The controversy surrounding USAID’s funding highlights broader concerns over U.S. foreign aid accountability. With millions directed toward projects linked to political influence, Trump’s decision to halt spending aimed to curb further harm to democratic institutions worldwide.