USAID Caught Funding Luxuries For Ukrainian Models With Taxpayer Money

In a shocking revelation, a Senate investigation has uncovered that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) secretly funneled taxpayer dollars to fund extravagant trips for Ukrainian models and designers to high-end events like Paris Fashion Week. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) blew the whistle on Wednesday, exposing a glaring misuse of funds intended to aid war-torn Ukraine.

Instead of prioritizing real economic relief, USAID's Competitive Economy Program (CEP) reportedly spent:

• $150,000 on a modern women’s attire company

• $128,000 on a trade mission for a fashion design house

• $126,000 for a fashion photographer

• $161,000 on contemporary knitwear

• $84,000 each on a luxury bridal brand and a designer marketplace

The waste didn’t stop at fashion. Funds also flowed to a vineyard ($89,000), an artisanal fruit tea company ($104,000), a custom carpet manufacturer ($2 million), and even a dog collar maker.

What’s worse, Ernst revealed that USAID went to great lengths to hide this spending from congressional oversight. The agency falsely labeled documents as classified, blocking Ernst’s staff from reviewing them freely. Investigators were forced into a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF), where they were monitored and restricted from taking detailed notes.

USAID’s obstructionism appears to be part of a broader pattern. Over 5,000 Ukrainian businesses received U.S. taxpayer-funded aid through various programs, with grants reaching up to $2 million each. Meanwhile, NGOs involved in distributing funds were allowed to keep over 25% of grants for so-called “indirect costs,” including office rent another potential misuse of taxpayer money.

While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to demand billions from the American public, this scandal underscores a major breach of trust. Taxpayer dollars meant to alleviate suffering and rebuild Ukraine were instead squandered on runway shows and luxury goods.

Zelensky is slated to visit the White House on Friday to sign a new mineral deal, but given these revelations, Americans deserve to know where their hard-earned money is truly going.

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