Recent revelations have exposed worrying financial links between the organized crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and the U.S. government, particularly through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The investigation they conducted Mediapart other international media outlets have also revealed that, despite claims of independence, OCCRP allegedly covered up the extent of these financial ties and their implications.
The investigation further revealed that the German public broadcaster Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) censored its own documentary on the subject under pressure from OCCRP founder Drew Sullivan. This decision has raised concerns about the GDR's editorial integrity and impact on public media.
In response, MEP Petr Bistron called for a thorough investigation into USAID's activities in the European Union.
Here we interview him about media independence and the potential impact of foreign funding on investigative journalism.
Interview with Peter Bistron
Nicolas Faure: "Mr Bistron, Elon Musk recently condemned censorship in Europe and opposed EU regulations on combating disinformation. Do you see his fight for free speech as a challenge to the elite's control over information or is it just a business strategy to protect his platforms?“
Petr Bistron: "Elon Musk's motivations are irrelevant-the fact is he's right. He exposes censorship in both the United States and Europe, and is not alone. U.S. Senator J. D. Vance has repeatedly criticized the crackdown on dissent in Europe, even pointing to cases where people have been jailed for posting on Facebook. The fact that we have reached this point is disastrous for a continent that prides itself on being the cradle of democracy. The European Union today betrays the European heritage – Greek democracy, the ideals of the French Revolution, Freedom and enlightenment. It is alarming that Americans now need to remind us of these fundamental principles.“
Nicolas Faure: "you recently called for C's investigation, claiming that the agency influenced the 2024 European elections. through disinformation campaigns. What evidence supports these claims and how do you believe USAID organized this influence?”
Petr Bistron: "thanks to revelations from Elon Musk's work at the Department of Defense (DoD) and documents already published, we now know that the Deep State has channeled funds through USAID for decades to orchestrate regime change around the world. We also know that these funds were used to support OCCRP, the so-called journalism platform of which they are members — such as Der Spiegel and Süddeutsche Zeitung - coordinated several defamation campaigns.
The next European elections, Der Spiegel and Süddeutsche Zeitung they launched a targeted attack just a week before the vote, leading to the collapse of Austria's ruling coalition. This became known as the "Ibiza affair", an operation based on compromising material obtained by intelligence methods. The then Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache was accused of corruption, which caused a media storm that forced his resignation and seriously affected the election results of the FPO. however, after the election it became clear that Strache did not commit any crime. The entire campaign had one goal: electoral manipulation. Although he later won multiple lawsuits, he was politically destroyed.
In the last European elections, OCCRP-affiliated media used a similar strategy. This time, compromising material—also obtained by intelligence operations—leaked to Prague. Who was on target? Political figures across Europe who opposed additional arms supplies to Ukraine and advocated a peace process. They are systematically blasted and labeled "agents of Moscow". Shortly before the election, the Prague-based news website Voice of Europe accused them of corruption. Today, investigations by prominent journalists — including Michael Schellenberger in the U.S. and Peter Stapan in the Czech Republic — have revealed that these allegations are entirely fabricated. In reality, it was a NATO-funded campaign designed to discredit these politicians.
As far as I'm concerned, over 250 negative articles were published about me before the election — compared to less than five after the election. I also went through 21 searches in my house and surroundings. No incriminating evidence has been found.”
Nicholas Faure: "OCCRP and other organizations accuse you of spreading misinformation and being influenced by foreign actors. Do you believe these allegations stem from genuine journalistic investigations, or use weapons to discredit political figures who challenge the dominant narrative?
Peter Bistron: "Exactly! These accusations and slander are completely unfounded. There is no evidence behind these claims, no concrete facts. Those targeted immediately withdrew-legally and politically. The truth is that OCCRP-affiliated media manipulate elections and serve foreign interests. They have been funded and directed from the United States for decades. And as it now seems, they have repeatedly used material collected by intelligence work to eliminate political opponents — perhaps even illegally obtained. The European Parliament must investigate these issues in detail.”
Nicholas Faure: "many media and non-governmental organizations today present themselves as the ultimate arbiters of truth in the fight against so-called "misinformation". In your opinion, who decides what is legitimate information and what is propaganda? How can we ensure true media pluralism?“
Petr Bistron: "the disaster is that organizations without democratic legitimacy — and, as we now know, secretly funded by states and intelligence agencies — have taken it upon themselves to be the "Guardians of press freedom." Of course, every country is engaged in propaganda, just as businesses are engaged in advertising. But the role of journalism is to report facts objectively. We must restore a truly independent media landscape, dedicated to truth.
Moreover, adult citizens should be trusted to decide for themselves how much they are influenced by propaganda. People are not children we have to dictate what to think. Neither governments nor the media should control what they can hear, see or read. Propaganda has always existed and will continue to exist. But, as we have seen, much of what these self-proclaimed guardians have called "disinformation" or "propaganda" in recent years has in reality turned out to be completely true.“
The interview was conducted and translated from German by Nicholas Faure.
Translation into Serbian: center for geostrategic studies
10. March 2025.
