Kushner Albanian Resort Faces Investigation and Protests as Environmental Concerns Rise
6 verified6 unconfirmed
Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump are developing a luxury resort on Sazan Island and the nearby Albanian coast, a project that has drawn an anti-corruption investigation and widespread protests. Ivanka described discovering the uninhabited island while on a friend’s boat, swimming to shore and hiking barefoot. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has publicly backed the development, saying it will not be stopped. However, Albania’s Special Structure Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) confirmed on Monday that it is investigating how Kushner-controlled entities obtained rights and how the land’s protected status was changed. Demonstrators in Tirana and at the site have chanted “Albania is not for sale” and objected to what they call the destruction of an environmentally sensitive area. Environmental groups warn the project threatens migratory birds and marine habitats.
What’s verified
Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump are developing a luxury resort on Sazan Island and the nearby Albanian coast.
Ivanka Trump said she and Kushner found the island while on a friend’s boat, swimming to shore and hiking barefoot.
The project is located in an environmentally sensitive area; groups warn it threatens wildlife including flamingos and marine species.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has expressed support for the project.
On Monday, Albania’s anti-corruption agency (SPAK) launched an investigation into the project.
Protests have taken place in Albania, including in Tirana, with demonstrators chanting “Albania is not for sale.”
Not yet confirmed
A single source reports that the project includes 10,000 hotel rooms and that the Albanian government changed the law in 2024 to allow development in a previously protected national park.
One source states that after Trump’s election in November 2024, Kushner’s LLC was granted “strategic investor” status without a business plan or feasibility study.
The same source details a network of individuals tied to the project, including a businessman accused of mafia links.
Another single source says Sazan Island is a military exclusion zone with two soldiers deployed as of 2017.
One source reports that since late May, heavy machinery has entered the coastal area, opening access routes and installing fencing.
No source explains how Ivanka Trump’s personal real estate experience connects to the project’s financing or permitting.
Key figures
Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, Edi Rama (Prime Minister of Albania)
Sources: motherjones.com, newrepublic.com
