Georgia's speaker exposes controversial $40 million USAID fund, casting shadows over election fairness PHOTO

The Georgian Parliament Speaker, Shalva Papuashvili, has stated that Georgian non-governmental organizations received over $40 million from USAID for the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 26, 2024, with the allocation of these funds lacking transparency.

"USAID has spent $41.7 million on elections in Georgia through political non-governmental organizations," he declared on X, Caliber.Az reports.

According to him, "if one were to compare the population sizes of Georgia and the United States, this would be equivalent to injecting $3.78 billion into elections in the US."

"So, it is impossible to spend $41.7 mln on another country’s elections and, at the same time, feel no accountability towards the population of the said country," Papuashvili remarked.

The Speaker of Parliament has demanded an explanation as to how tens of millions of dollars are allocated to organizations that, according to him, consistently lead coup attempts in Georgia.

The previous day, Papuashvili called for an investigation into USAID’s activities in Georgia, as well as for greater transparency regarding the funds spent by Western countries on domestic political processes.

To recap, the Trump administration on February 3 barred employees of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) from entering their headquarters in central Washington, D.C., as part of efforts to shut down the agency. The move has sparked backlash, with two Democratic senators pledging to obstruct State Department nominations in protest.

The decision has added to the turmoil at USAID, which provides billions in humanitarian assistance worldwide. Disruptions began after President Trump ordered a freeze on most US foreign aid upon taking office on January 20.

The agency has also come under scrutiny from billionaire Elon Musk, who has been tasked with streamlining the federal government. In an internal message, staff were informed that the agency’s main office would be closed.

A senior White House official, speaking anonymously, stated that Trump was considering merging USAID into the State Department and had "entrusted Elon to oversee the efficiency of this agency." Discussions were reportedly underway regarding a formal notification to Congress.

Outside the locked headquarters, a group of Democratic lawmakers gathered with dozens of furloughed employees and contractors in protest. US Representative Jamie Raskin criticized the move, stating: "We don't have a fourth branch of government called Elon Musk."

By Aghakazim Guliyev