Taxpayer Dollars Sent to Ukraine Funded Fashion and Luxury—And USAID Tried to Hide It

The now-defunct U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) funneled taxpayer money to Ukrainian fashion designers, models, and luxury businesses, all while blocking oversight efforts. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) exposed the spending, which was hidden under false claims of classification.

Key Facts:

USAID funded Ukrainian fashion and luxury businesses with U.S. taxpayer money, including a modern women’s attire company ($150,000) and a luxury bridal brand ($84,000).
Additional recipients included a vineyard, an artisanal fruit tea company, and a designer carpet manufacturer receiving up to $2 million.
USAID refused to disclose these expenses in public databases and misrepresented them as classified to hinder oversight.
Sen. Ernst’s team had to review documents in a secured facility under heavy restrictions, despite the information not being legitimately classified.
Over 5,000 Ukrainian businesses received taxpayer-funded aid through USAID programs, some grants reaching $2 million.

The Rest of The Story:

USAID, under the guise of supporting Ukraine’s economy, spent American tax dollars on questionable ventures, including fashion week junkets, high-end apparel, and luxury goods.

While Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has pleaded for more U.S. financial assistance, evidence suggests much of the money has been used for non-essential projects.

Sen. Ernst, chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, revealed that USAID deliberately obstructed congressional oversight.

USAID secretly funded luxuries for Ukrainian models, such as flying them to Paris Fashion Week, a probe by @SenJoniErnst found.

USAID tried to block the senator from seeing the Ukraine "aid" by falsely claiming it was classified, when it was actually just embarrassing. Other $: pic.twitter.com/rk2Hga9rzE

— Luke Rosiak (@lukerosiak) February 26, 2025

The agency forced investigators to review records under intense restrictions, barring them from taking notes or copying documents.

Despite USAID’s claims that these records were classified, Ernst confirmed they were merely embarrassing.

Additionally, NGOs involved in distributing these funds kept more than 25% for their own operational costs.

USAID insisted it was illegal to disclose whether this practice was justified, further raising transparency concerns.

Commentary:

These revelations confirm what many Americans have long suspected—foreign aid is often misused, and accountability is nearly nonexistent.

The idea that U.S. taxpayers were footing the bill for Ukrainian models to strut down Paris Fashion Week while their own economy faces inflation and stagnation is beyond insulting.

Trump was right to dismantle USAID.

The agency has proven itself a bureaucratic black hole, funneling money into elite pet projects while blocking even basic transparency.

If it takes a senator’s team jumping through classified facility hoops just to see how money is spent, something is deeply wrong.

The claim that these expenditures were meant to “stimulate Ukraine’s economy” falls apart when looking at the details.

Luxury bridal brands and dog collar manufacturers are hardly the backbone of a war-ravaged economy.

Meanwhile, USAID’s grants to NGOs ensured that bureaucrats and middlemen made a comfortable living while taxpayers were left in the dark.

This scandal also underscores a larger problem—unchecked government spending on foreign aid with little to no scrutiny.

When agencies operate with impunity, they end up funding absurdities like artisanal fruit tea companies instead of real humanitarian needs.

If Washington refuses to fix this, then perhaps Americans should demand that foreign aid be slashed entirely.

The Bottom Line:

USAID funneled taxpayer money to Ukrainian fashion brands and luxury businesses while actively obstructing oversight.

This wasteful spending further proves that dismantling the agency was the right call.

Until Congress imposes real accountability, Americans will continue footing the bill for reckless government spending abroad.