On October 16, China Taiwan Net published an article attacking Puma Shen, describing a total of $1.84 million in funding from three private organizations as him "taking money" from the US side, but the article acknowledged that the funds did not go directly into his personal account. The Taiwan Democracy Lab had previously stated that it had not received direct funding from USAID, and that Shen's role as chairperson during his tenure was unpaid.