USAID Linked to ‘Information Operations,’ Training NGOs on Censorship [WATCH]

During a Senate hearing on “Eliminating Waste by the Foreign Aid Bureaucracy” before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on Thursday, February 13, 2025, journalist and author Michael Shellenberger detailed how USAID has been involved in media manipulation and censorship efforts.

Shellenberger’s testimony focused on what he described as USAID’s role in controlling investigative journalism and training NGOs to push for censorship under the guise of combatting disinformation.

He also drew parallels between these efforts and the handling of Hunter Biden’s laptop story in 2020.

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“ I think it’s important to understand that USAID viewed this very holistically,” Shellenberger stated.

“It’s important, if you look at the Hunter Biden laptop case, which is an extremely important case to understand, because the FBI was weaponized, and it weaponized the Aspen Institute to brainwash the entire media. It wasn’t just that they censored it, it was that they changed the perception of the laptop. They created the perception that it was something other than what it obviously was,”

Shellenberger pointed out that similar tactics are being employed by USAID and affiliated organizations to influence media narratives.

“And that’s what these guys are trying to do. These are called Information Operations, and USAID has been in the process of taking over so called independent investigative journalism around the world, and at the same time, then training NGOs how to demand censorship,” he explained.

He highlighted the work of specific organizations, including one linked to an individual identified as Mr. Aaron, which has been engaged in training groups to secretly identify and suppress information under the label of disinformation.

“For example, Mr. Aaron’s organization has been working to train organizations to so called flag misinformation behind the scenes. By the way, it’s one thing to criticize somebody publicly, which we should all be engaged in. This thing of going out and like secretly flagging information behind the scenes and demanding censorship that is such a, that’s completely an abomination. That is not what a democracy is about” Shellenberger said.

He condemned the approach of selectively flagging information in secret, arguing that it undermines the principles of free speech.

During the hearing, Shellenberger was asked directly whether his research showed that USAID was involved in the practice of “prebunking” stories, similar to what was done with the Hunter Biden laptop case in the fall of 2020.

“Yes, it’s the exact same approach as well, where often what they’re doing, for example, with USAID, OCCRP, Is that they’re leaking intelligence from the intelligence agencies,” he responded.

Shellenberger further explained that this method is distinct from platforms like WikiLeaks, which publish large amounts of raw data.

Instead, he argued that USAID-backed groups strategically release information in coordination with major media outlets.

“Not like WikiLeaks, where they just dumped it, I think, probably too much without the proper redactions,” he said.

“They strategically filter it and then manipulate media like The Guardian and The New York Times to publish certain stories and control the whole investigative news process.”

The testimony raises further concerns about government agencies’ role in shaping narratives through media influence and censorship efforts.

The hearing’s findings may lead to further scrutiny of USAID’s practices and its use of taxpayer funds to influence global information flows.

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