Leaked emails expose ‘civil war’ at CIA rule alteration cut-out
Date
7/31/2024 8:07:02 AM
(MENAFN) Recent leaks have unveiled significant internal strife within the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) following a major public relations debacle. The controversy stems from a phone call between Leslie Aun, NED’s Vice President for Communications, and The Grayzone’s Max Blumenthal and Alex Rubinstein. The call, which took place in May 2023, was meant to address accusations that the NED functions as a "CIA cutout." However, it ended up showcasing Aun's lack of preparedness and triggered a major fallout within the organization.
Documents obtained by The Grayzone reveal that the fallout from this incident led to the dismissal of Aun and possibly Michael Allen, formerly the editor of NED’s 'Democracy Digest' blog. Emails between Allen and Carl Gershman, the Endowment’s founding president, exposed the depth of dissatisfaction among senior officials.
In the wake of the call’s publication on YouTube, Allen referred to the situation as an “amateur hour” and “hugely embarrassing,” and expressed regret over Aun’s participation in the call. He had previously advised against her engaging with the critics from The Grayzone. Allen's frustration was echoed by David Lowe, NED’s Vice President for Government Relations, who found Aun’s performance “breathtakingly ignorant” and “too painful to listen to.”
The leaked emails also reveal criticism directed at Damon Wilson, the new NED president, for his role in hiring Aun. Gershman described the call as a “disastrous screwup,” referring to Aun as a “clueless wonder” and attributing the incident to Wilson’s focus on media and image rather than substantive expertise. Gershman’s comments reflect a broader conflict within the NED, highlighting a division between the old neoconservative establishment and the newer, more progressive leadership.
This internal "civil war" within the NED underscores deeper tensions regarding the organization's public image and its perceived connections to intelligence agencies. The leaked emails and subsequent fallout suggest a significant realignment of priorities and personnel at the NED, reflecting broader debates about the role and operations of democratic promotion institutions in contemporary geopolitics.
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