For years, Azerbaijan has faced criticism from Western media, but a new revelation has provided an unexpected explanation—funding through USAID. Leaked information about multimillion-dollar grants directed toward specific media outlets exposes a long-standing corruption scheme, where influential publications allegedly served the interests of the U.S. political elite.
Elon Musk, head of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), announced that American authorities have ceased funding media outlets such as Politico, The New York Times, and the Associated Press. According to his statement, the State Department cut ties with the Associated Press, the Treasury Department withdrew support from The New York Times, and NASA ended its financial relationship with Politico. Under Joe Biden’s administration, these media outlets had published dozens of commissioned anti-Azerbaijani reports.
However, the most shocking revelation was that USAID had essentially functioned as a secret financial tool for the Democratic Party and the Biden administration. Not only did USAID funnel money into American media, but it also generously funded the British BBC. Between 2023 and 2024, USAID became the second-largest donor to the British broadcaster, transferring £2.613 million. This raises serious concerns about the BBC’s editorial independence and sheds light on why the media corporation actively supported the controversial oligarch Ruben Vardanyan—who is currently on trial in Baku—even inviting him to the Hard Talk program.
Adding another layer to the scandal, details of Politico’s financial ties have also been exposed. The publication received $8 million from a USAID fund, allegedly ensuring its favorable coverage of corruption scandals surrounding the Biden family. For instance, Politico played a key role in dismissing the Hunter Biden laptop controversy as “Russian disinformation.”
A crucial figure in this controversy is Samantha Power, the head of USAID. It has been widely reported that she received a $1 million “award” from Ruben Vardanyan, which, in reality, amounted to a bribe. This serves as yet another confirmation that USAID funding has long since stopped being a tool for humanitarian aid and has instead become a mechanism for political manipulation.
As these connections come to light, it is becoming evident that Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Bob Menendez, Adam Schiff, and other Democratic lobbyists and Azerbaijanophobes were deeply entangled in this financial scheme. Political control over the media, funding for “approved” narratives, and the suppression of inconvenient facts all appear to be part of a larger strategy involving major Western media platforms—once considered paragons of journalism.
Elon Musk has already made his position clear: the BBC is effectively state-funded. He shared an infographic confirming USAID’s financial role in this arrangement. In Britain, the revelation of contracts between a U.S. government agency and the British media giant has sparked widespread surprise. Clearly, the independence of Western media is now under serious scrutiny, and their reputation is taking a significant hit.
And now, of course, the most intriguing part. For years, Baku has insisted that Western media operate on an agenda, yet local “liberals” and “opposition figures” dismissed these claims with sarcasm, arguing that the press was independent. Well, now that the cards are on the table, one would love to see their reaction. Though, knowing them, they will likely pretend that nothing has happened—just as always.
For now, there is only one thing left to do: grab some popcorn and patiently watch as more revelations, fresh leaks, and new scandals emerge—ones that, in hindsight, may not seem so surprising after all.
