For years, Donald Trump promised to “drain the swamp.” Now his daughter and son-in-law are facing questions about a luxury mega-development tied to land deals involving a man long associated with organized crime allegations.
The latest controversy surrounding Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner’s massive resort project in Albania is turning into a political and legal headache that just keeps getting bigger.
Kushner’s investment firm is backing plans for a luxury development worth billions of dollars along Albania’s coastline, including a lavish resort on the island of Sazan. The project has already triggered protests from environmental groups worried about the area’s wildlife and fragile ecosystem.
And there’s another problem. Residents say some of the land involved in the development never should have been sold in the first place, the Daily Beast reports.
A group of villagers from the coastal community of Zvërnec claim they are the rightful owners of property that has been fenced off and incorporated into the project. Several say they can no longer access land their families have used for decades.
One 81-year-old resident told Reuters he recently tried to reach his seafront property only to find barbed-wire fencing and security guards blocking access.
Think about that for a second.
A billionaire-backed luxury resort is moving forward while locals claim they’re being locked out of land they legally own.And the man at the center of the ownership dispute is hardly helping ease concerns.
According to Reuters and previous reporting from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, the disputed land was sold by Artur Shehu, a Florida-based businessman who has faced scrutiny from both Italian and Albanian authorities over alleged ties to organized crime networks.
Shehu has never been convicted of any crime and denies wrongdoing. But his history is enough to raise serious questions about how this entire project came together.
Italian investigators previously examined allegations that he conducted business on behalf of mob-connected figures. Albanian anti-corruption authorities are reportedly scrutinizing him as part of a separate money-laundering investigation.
Meanwhile, local residents say court rulings recognizing their ownership claims have remained tied up in legal disputes for years.
The result is a growing sense among many Albanians that powerful interests are moving ahead while ordinary citizens are left fighting for access to their own property.
And that’s only part of the backlash.
Environmental groups have spent months warning that the development could threaten one of Albania’s most ecologically important coastal regions, home to protected wildlife including flamingos and sea turtles.
Thousands of people have joined demonstrations opposing the project. Protesters have marched through the streets carrying flamingo cutouts and demanding greater transparency about how permits and approvals are being handled.
Critics argue that a project of this scale should face far more public scrutiny than it has received.
Yet throughout the controversy, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner have remained largely silent.
Neither has been accused of wrongdoing in connection with the land dispute. But the optics are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
A project marketed as an ultra-luxury destination is now facing accusations of land grabs, environmental concerns, legal battles, and organized-crime investigations.
