Kushner’s firm denies knowing that the Albanian resort land was allegedly stolen. But a letter sent to his firm disputes that claim

A letter written by villagers on an Albanian peninsula appears to contradict claims made by Jared Kushner’s firm that it had no knowledge of a land dispute tied to its planned luxury resort. Ivanka Trump and Kushner are backing the $1.4 billion project through the company Sazan Real Estate.

Nearly two years ago, villagers in Zvërnec sent a letter to Kushner’s firm asking it not to build the resort on land they say was stolen. According to The Wall Street Journal, the letter said the property was involved in a decades-long court dispute and was allegedly taken by Artur Shehu, a suspected gangster accused of forging Ottoman-era land records.

The villagers wrote that the site is “owned by the village and its residents.” Despite the letter, Kushner’s development group went on to complete a deal with Shehu, who was later accused by Albanian prosecutors of money laundering, forging historical property deeds, and involvement in an international drug ring.

Sazan Real Estate says it had no knowledge of any dispute

Sazan Real Estate has said it was unaware of any land disputes connected to the property, even though the matter has been covered repeatedly by local media. Asher Abehsera, the company’s chairman, told The Wall Street Journal, “We did not see or hear of any dispute at all.”

In a statement to the Daily Beast, Abehsera said the resort would “celebrate Albania’s natural beauty, create jobs, and build something future generations can be proud of.” 

He added that the company has spent four years “working toward creating a world-class destination on the Albanian coast – one rooted in thoughtful design, environmental stewardship, and long-term economic opportunity.” He also said the project’s future “will ultimately be determined by Albania and the Albanian people.”

A spokesperson for Sazan said the company believes the land acquisitions were carried out lawfully. The resort has also drawn scrutiny from officials investigating the project for possible corruption, as protests over the development continue.

The project has drawn growing public opposition since bulldozers and barbed-wire fencing showed up on nearby beaches in late May. A widely shared video showed private security guards working for the Kushner-backed group punching a villager in the face and dragging him across the beach. 

Kostaq Konomi, the village leader of Zvërnec, told the Journal, “The only thing that I want now is that they give me back my land.” The development has also faced criticism from environmental groups, who say it threatens the natural landscape of the largely uninhabited island. 

In December 2024, Albania’s Parliament changed legislation to allow construction in environmentally sensitive areas, a move that fast-tracked the project. There is no evidence that Kushner played a role in that legislative change.

Albanian opposition leader Sali Berisha has alleged that Prime Minister Edi Rama may have been “seeking to buy political influence” from Trump by approving the resort. Aleksandër Trajçe, executive director of the conservation group PPNEA, told The Guardian in June that “from start to finish there has been a total lack of transparency.” 

The resort is one part of a larger financial network Kushner has built since leaving the White House, detailed in how Kushner built his investment fund. The controversy has drawn attention from public figures, including singer Dua Lipa, who holds Albanian citizenship. 

According to The Daily Beast, speaking on Lea Ypi’s Service95 Book Club podcast, Lipa said, “I find it so inspiring to see how much people really care,” referring to weeks of protests against the resort. 

She also said, “What I actually find concerning is the principle that the government could just change the law to remove the environmental protection without any kind of public consultation.”

Public criticism of the project grew after Ivanka Trump spoke about it on David Serna’s podcast, saying she wanted to “transform” the island of Sazan with “restraint.” She described how she and Kushner first came across the island. 

“We were on a friend’s boat, and we stopped for a swim. Effectively, that’s how we found it. We swam to the islands. We went on a hike, barefoot all the way, up to the top. And we were just captivated,” she said.