WIKILEAKS REVEALS US SPENT $472.6M FOR COVERT CENSORSHIP, MEDIA CONTROL

Wikileaks has revealed that the United States allegedly transferred $472.6 million through Internews Network, a global media non-governmental organisation (NGO) suspected of promoting covert censorship and media control.

USAspending data shows that in the last 17 years, 87 percent of the funding, equivalent to $415 million, came from USAID, while the US Department of State awarded an additional $57 million in the same period.

Internews claims to have “worked with” 4,291 media outlets, producing 4,799 hours of broadcasts in one year alone, reaching up to 778 million people globally. Wikileaks also said in a series of posts on X that it “trained” over 9,000 journalists in 2023 and supported social media censorship initiatives.

Reports suggest that Jeanne Bourgault earns $451,000 annually as the leader of Internews. Bourgault, a vocal advocate for global advertising “exclusion lists,” has pushed for censoring what she deems “disinformation.”

Critics argue this amounts to subjective censorship, as her definitions of “good” or “bad” content remain contentious. Social media users have labelled the US government’s support for the organisation as a “literal state propaganda network.”

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Linked figures

Internews’ ties to George Soros’s Open Society Foundations have raised further questions.

According to information on its website, Internews partnered with Soros to establish the Balkan Media Network during the siege of Sarajevo in 1994, connecting independent media organisations in the former Yugoslavia.

Soros is known for his role in the collapse of the Eastern Bloc and alleged interference in domestic affairs.

WikiLeaks’ revelations included key figures linked to Internews, such as Democratic donor Richard J. Kessler and Simone Otus Coxe, wife of NVIDIA billionaire Trench Coxe.

In 2023, Jeanne Bourgault launched a $10 million fund at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), supported by Hillary Clinton.

USAID’s budget freeze

Critics highlight Internews’ opaque operations, including six subsidiaries, one based in the Cayman Islands, a major offshore financial centre, and its main billing address listed as an abandoned building in California.

The revelations come amid President Donald Trump’s freeze on USAID’s budget, citing misaligned priorities with his “America First” policy.

A White House statement asserted that USAID’s initiatives “do not align with American interests” and sometimes “destabilize world peace.”

The move has sparked concerns among global aid organisations reliant on US support.