A tense standoff occurred at the US African Development Foundation (USADF) headquarters when a team from Elon Musk’s “Doge” unit, accompanied by a Trump appointee, attempted to enter and carry out firings. USADF staff, citing a letter from their chair, refused entry, asserting that the firings violated the agency’s governing statute and required Congressional approval. This incident, following similar resistance at another agency, highlights ongoing legal challenges against Trump administration efforts to dismantle federal agencies. The USADF, established to support African communities, has distributed over $141 million in grants since 2019.
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The White House dismissed USAID Inspector General Paul Martin after his office warned that the administration’s actions had severely hampered oversight of $8.2 billion in unspent humanitarian funds, jeopardizing aid delivery and potentially contributing to thousands of deaths. This firing follows a pattern of the Trump administration removing inspectors general and is coupled with a lawsuit alleging that the dismantling of USAID is causing substantial financial harm to American businesses and contractors, leaving them unpaid for completed work. The lawsuit, joined by numerous organizations, challenges the legality of the administration’s actions, citing the lack of congressional approval and devastating humanitarian consequences. This action is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to restructure USAID, facing several ongoing legal challenges.
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John Q. Hosedrinker