Changes

The National Endowment for Democracy was set up in 1983 after a series of scandals undermined both the credibility and the public image of the [[CIA]]. The organization was established as a cutout doing much of the agency’s dirtiest work. “It would be terrible for democratic groups around the world to be seen as subsidized by the CIA,” Gershman himself said, explaining its creation. “A lot of what we do today was done covertly 25 years ago by the CIA,” NED cofounder Allen Weinstein told ''[[The Washington Post]]'' in 1991.

The National Endowment for Democracy was set up in 1983 after a series of scandals undermined both the credibility and the public image of the [[CIA]]. The organization was established as a cutout doing much of the agency’s dirtiest work. “It would be terrible for democratic groups around the world to be seen as subsidized by the CIA,” Gershman himself said, explaining its creation. “A lot of what we do today was done covertly 25 years ago by the CIA,” NED cofounder Allen Weinstein told ''[[The Washington Post]]'' in 1991.

NED is almost entirely funded by Congress and is staffed largely by ex-national security state leaders. Its president as of 2022 is Damon Wilson.  Other top officials pepper NED’s board of directors, including [[Biden regime]] CIA Director [[William Burns]], Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs and 2014 Ukrainian Maidan revolution mastermind [[Victoria Nuland]], as well as veteran national security official Elliott Abrams.  Its private non-profit status means that its affairs do not fall under the same legal scrutiny as those of government organizations like the CIA.  It has no congressional oversight. It is harder to acquire documents under the [[Freedom of Information Act]] (FOIA), meaning that the group’s actions remain shrouded in secrecy.

NED is almost entirely funded by Congress and is staffed largely by ex-national security state leaders. Its president as of 2022 is Damon Wilson. The NED published a video of Wilson at a rally outside the [[White House]], declaring "Glory to Ukraine" – the salute used by Nazi collaborator [[Stephan Bandera]]'s [[OUN-B]], which carried out [[mass murder]] of [[Jews]] and [[Polish|Poles]] during [[World War II]].<ref>https://twitter.com/dancohen3000/status/1500899917300129795</ref> Other top officials pepper NED’s board of directors, including [[Biden regime]] CIA Director [[William Burns]], Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs and 2014 Ukrainian Maidan revolution mastermind [[Victoria Nuland]], as well as veteran national security official Elliott Abrams.  Its private non-profit status means that its affairs do not fall under the same legal scrutiny as those of government organizations like the CIA.  It has no congressional oversight. It is harder to acquire documents under the [[Freedom of Information Act]] (FOIA), meaning that the group’s actions remain shrouded in secrecy.

   

   

Studying the NED grants database reveals that the organization has approved 334 separate grants to Ukraine, a country the group’s 2019 annual report identified as its “top priority,” owing to “its size and importance for the Europe region.” The report notes that NED is focused on “counter[ing] foreign [i.e., Russian] malign influence, particularly disinformation and corrosive capital.” Of the European nations, only Russia itself has been the target of more NED money ($37.7 million to Ukraine’s $22.4 million).  NED is rather hazy about where its money is going, yet scrutinizing the vague project outlines, it becomes clear that NED has two major objectives in Ukraine:

Studying the NED grants database reveals that the organization has approved 334 separate grants to Ukraine, a country the group’s 2019 annual report identified as its “top priority,” owing to “its size and importance for the Europe region.” The report notes that NED is focused on “counter[ing] foreign [i.e., Russian] malign influence, particularly disinformation and corrosive capital.” Of the European nations, only Russia itself has been the target of more NED money ($37.7 million to Ukraine’s $22.4 million).  NED is rather hazy about where its money is going, yet scrutinizing the vague project outlines, it becomes clear that NED has two major objectives in Ukraine: