Jared Kushner's Albania Headache: Flamingos, Contested Land and Cocaine

Kushner discovers Cezanne island0:14

• Jared Kushnerclip

  Describes discovering Albania's coast and Cezanne island while sailing from Montenegro to Corfu

• Ivanka Trumpclip

  Describes swimming to and hiking Cezanne island, calling the country beautiful but unknown

Why Kushner targeted Albania4:50

According to WSJ reporter Elliot Brown, Kushner saw an opportunity in Albania because it had very little foreign investment despite a growing tourist scene, similar to Croatia's tourism boom 15-20 years earlier.

Kushner's relationship with PM Rama and the Cezanne deal5:39

• Elliot Brownassertion

  Kushner's raised political stature from the Trump family undeniably helped him secure access and respect from Rama

• Eddie Ramaclip

  The Cezanne deal has nothing to do with currying favor with Trump and is part of his tourism-driven economic vision

Zvernets peninsula and the 2024 law change7:10

Kushner also sought to develop the Zvernets peninsula, a protected nesting ground for migratory birds including flamingos. In 2024 the Albanian government changed the law to allow development in environmentally protected areas, but only for five-star-or-above hotels, shortly after which Kushner posted renderings of luxury villas and hotels for both Cezanne and Zvernets.

Artur Shehu's background8:46

• Former Albanian state police officerassertion

  Shehu was suspected of mafia connections and fled after a gunfight with a rival gang

• Shehu's lawyerassertion

  The 1990s investigations into Shehu were politically motivated

Disputed land claims via forged Ottoman document11:23

• Land claimantassertion

  Shehu stole the property using a forged Ottoman-era document that substituted his name for the true owner

• Shehu's lawyerassertion

  Shehu's claims were based on substantial documentation showing his family was a large landowner in the area

Land purchase and drug smuggling charges13:22

• Albanian prosecutorsassertion

  Shehu led a major cocaine smuggling and money laundering operation, laundering funds through the Zvernets land

• Shehu's lawyerassertion

  Shehu was only involved in legitimate real estate deals and had no involvement in the alleged drug ring

• Kushner group spokespersonassertion

  The group is aware of the allegations against the land seller but is itself not under investigation

Fence protest video and the Flamingo Revolution15:25

• Kushner's project partneropinion

  Called the security guard video horrific and said fencing the land was a bad decision by a third-party contractor

• Protesterclip

  Wants a total change of the political system

Political fallout: EU membership and calls for Rama's resignation17:32

The Flamingo Revolution protests spread to other European cities and prompted demands for Prime Minister Rama's resignation, though he has vowed to press ahead. The European Union has indicated that the law permitting development in protected areas could jeopardize Albania's decade-long bid for EU membership.

Kushner presses on despite the controversy18:54

Despite the land disputes, drug trafficking allegations, and mass protests, Kushner and his partners are continuing the resort project, having already invested over $200 million total. Elliot Brown says Kushner is known to be relatively callous to criticism, having developed a thick skin from both real estate and government work.