Center for American Progress says it aims to distance itself from authoritarian regimes amid questions over ‘which side our president is on’

The Center for American Progress, one of the most prominent liberal thinktanks in Washington, will no longer accept funding from the United Arab Emirates, the Guardian has learned.

The group said it is parting ways with what it views to be anti-democratic governments across the globe, seeking to distinguish itself from the authoritarian regimes with which Donald Trump’s administration has developed a close rapport.

“With a rising undemocratic tide around the world, and serious questions about which side of that struggle our own president stands on, it seemed clear that all Americans should take extra steps and leave no doubt where they stand,” a CAP spokesperson told the Guardian.

“This funding never impacted any CAP position or policy, but everybody here agrees it’s just the right thing to do.”

The move from CAP comes amid heightened public scrutiny over the monetary link between authoritarian governments and influential thinktanks in the US capital. CAP previously listed funding from the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates as ranging between $500,000 and $1m – placing it in the upper echelon of its donors. The UAE funding was overseen by the group’s foreign policy team.

A recent report, published by the Intercept, questioned to what extent CAP’s response to the murder of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was shaped by the group’s connection to the UAE – a regional ally of the Saudi kingdom. CAP condemned Khashoggi’s murder, calling on Saudi Arabia to be held accountable, and has disputed the outlet’s characterization of events.

CAP has maintained that its policy decisions are made independently of its donors, and pointed to a bipartisan frustration with the UAE-Saudi alliance as part of its rationale for severing ties.

According to documents reviewed by the Guardian, the move within CAP to refuse funding from the UAE started in June of 2018 – well before Khashoggi’s disappearance – and was finalized in December.

Founded in 2003 by Bill Clinton’s former chief of staff John Podesta, CAP rose in prominence during the Obama administration. Other top thinktanks in Washington have also drawn criticism for receiving funding from the UAE and sharing close ties the ambassador to the UAE, Yousef al-Otaiba, who has cultivated a reputation as an influential figure inside the nation’s capital.

Financial ties to the UAE have increasingly become a source of discomfort for leading US thinktanks, stemming from the Gulf dictatorship’s crackdown on human rights, as well as its close partnership with Saudi Arabia and the two countries’ role in the Yemen war. The UAE is known for its deliberate spending in Washington, in the pursuit of creating a friendly environment while advancing its own strategic goals.

But the murder of Khashoggi marked an inflection point, with critics calling upon American thinktanks and universities to adopt a “democracy pledge” by refusing both Saudi and Emirati money.

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Otaiba played a particularly key role in championing the Saudi crown prince, Mohammad bin Salman. The latter is believed by US intelligence authorities to have ordered Khashoggi’s execution at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October.

The UAE has also been an important player in the Trump administration’s Middle East strategy, typified by the push to further isolate Iran and the unraveling of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The centrality of the part played by the UAE and Saudi Arabia in influencing Trump’s foreign policy has been met with further scrutiny due to the business and personal relationships between members of the Gulf states and those in the president’s inner circle, including the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner.

By building its clout in Washington, the UAE has also been able to shield itself from scrutiny over its support for the Saudi-led bombing campaign in Yemen – a humanitarian crisis that experts believe could soon leave 14 million people on the brink of starvation.