Latest news with #AfricanDevelopmentFoundation
Washington Post
4 days ago
- Business
- Washington Post
Judge tosses lawsuit over Trump's firing of US African Development Foundation board members
A federal judge has tossed out a lawsuit over President Donald Trump's dismantling of a U.S. federal agency that invests in African small businesses . U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington, D.C., dismissed the case on Tuesday, finding that Trump was acting within his legal authority when he fired the U.S. African Development Foundation's board members in February. In March, the same judge ruled that the administration's removal of most grant money and staff from the congressionally created agency was also legal, as long as the agency was maintained at the minimum level required by law.
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Judge tosses lawsuit over Trump's firing of US African Development Foundation board members
A federal judge has tossed out a lawsuit over President Donald Trump's dismantling of a U.S. federal agency that invests in African small businesses. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington, D.C., dismissed the case on Tuesday, finding that Trump was acting within his legal authority when he fired the U.S. African Development Foundation's board members in February. In March, the same judge ruled that the administration's removal of most grant money and staff from the congressionally created agency was also legal, as long as the agency was maintained at the minimum level required by law. USADF was created as an independent agency in 1980, and its board members must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. In 2023, Congress allocated $46 million to the agency to invest in small agricultural and energy infrastructure projects and other economic development initiatives in 22 African countries. On Feb. 19, Trump issued an executive order that said USADF, the U.S. Institute of Peace, the Inter-American Foundation and the Presidio Trust should be scaled back to the minimum presence required by law. At the time, USADF had five of its seven board seats filled. A few days later, an administration official told Ward Brehm that he was fired, and emails were sent to the other board members notifying them that they had also been terminated. Those emails were never received, however, because they were sent to the wrong email addresses. The four board members, believing they still held their posts because they had not been given notice, met in March and passed a resolution appointing Brehm as the president of the board. But Trump had already appointed Pete Marocco as the new chairman of what the administration believed to now be a board of one. Since then, both men have claimed to be the president of the agency, and Brehm filed the lawsuit March 6. Leon said that even though they didn't receive the emails, the four board members were effectively terminated in February, and so they didn't have the authority to appoint Brehm to lead the board. An attorney for Brehm did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Another lawsuit over the dismantling of the agency is still pending before the same judge. In that case, two USADF staffers and a consulting firm based in Zambia that works closely with USADF contend that the Trump administration's efforts to deeply scale back the agency wrongly usurps Congress' powers. They also say Marocco was unlawfully appointed to the board, in part because he was never confirmed by the Senate as required. Leon's ruling in Brehm's case did not address whether the Trump administration had the power to install Marocco as board chair on a temporary basis.
Asia Times
22-03-2025
- Business
- Asia Times
Why Trump's global transformation might just succeed
Since returning to office in January 2025, Donald Trump has aggressively pursued a radical reshaping of US foreign policy. In early March, the State Department terminated foreign assistance programs supporting political opposition and regime change in Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, deeming them no longer in the US 'national interest.' Trump also reversed the Biden administration's agreement with Cuba, after it released 553 prisoners, to ease sanctions on the country. In February, the government issued an executive order dissolving the Inter-American Foundation, which had long promoted economic and community-led development in Latin America. The African Development Foundation is also slated to be eliminated under the executive order, while AFRICOM, the US military command for Africa, could be next. Trump's sweeping cuts extend to global initiatives like the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), the US Agency for Global Media, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and US support for political prisoners worldwide. Facing a divided opposition, a largely compliant GOP and key loyalists in power, Trump's teardown of the foreign policy establishment is well underway. In place of the US-led multilateral order, he is embracing a blunt, America First, transactional approach to international affairs centered on military threats, economic coercion through tariffs and sanctions, and stricter immigration policies—stripped of the usual lip service to human rights. One of Trump's first priorities has been a more aggressive crackdown on unauthorized migration. Weeks into his term, his administration began transferring undocumented immigrants to Guantanamo Bay, and while migrant and advocacy groups challenged this action, in March a federal judge 'expressed doubts toward those challenging the federal policy,' according to a New York Times article. Now, alleged Venezuelan gang members are being sent to El Salvador under a detention agreement with Trump ally El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, while Panama, Costa Rica and Honduras have also agreed to accept third-party nationals, under the pressure of tariffs being imposed and other economic measures. Trump is also seeking greater control over strategic infrastructure abroad. In March, a consortium led by US firm Blackrock acquired both Panama Canal ports in a US$19 billion deal, underscoring the role of the private sector in realizing his goals. Chinese state-run media criticized the Hong Kong-based seller, and labeled the move as 'economic coercion.' With Chinese entities removed from the canal, Trump has increasingly hinted at possible military action to secure even broader control over the Panama Canal. In his first term, Trump floated the idea of sending private military companies to Venezuela to topple President Nicolas Maduro, a tactic that could resurface. Tensions with NATO allies have played out publicly, undermining the transatlantic alliance that has been a crucial component of the US-led global order, with Trump wielding tariffs and even threats of annexation to pressure partners. Trump is also using US aid as leverage to highlight the dependence of partner countries, like shutting off intelligence-sharing and military aid to Ukraine, one of the several pressure tactics used to push Kyiv toward peace talks with Russia. Elon Musk, in turn, briefly hinted at disabling Starlink services in Ukraine, vital for the country's military communications, before walking back his comments. This pattern of signaling intent is common among Trump allies—before the March 14 executive order was issued to force Voice of America to shut down, Musk publicly called for its closure in February. To continue with his overhaul, Trump must dismantle much of the entrenched civil service and foreign policy bureaucracy, which he struggled with during his first term. Career officials, including some Republicans like John McCain, resisted his agenda through leaks, delays and policy changes. Their efforts were complemented by the GOP's disdain for the civil service, which has shifted increasingly left in recent decades. In the final months of his first term, Trump issued Schedule F, an executive order reclassifying certain career positions as political appointments, making them easier to dismiss, before Biden rescinded the order when he took office in January 2021. Dismantling a decades-old political apparatus is no simple feat. Since World War II, Washington has built a vast ecosystem of NGOs, think tanks and development agencies that shape US foreign policy and diplomacy. Even after 9/11, as President George W Bush leaned heavily on hard power with the launch of the Global War on Terrorism, his administration also introduced initiatives like the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI), to maintain international goodwill while waging unpopular wars. These programs, alongside organizations like the Peace Corps, the US Trade and Development Agency and others mentioned previously, were all repurposed by various administrations, awarded lucrative contracts, and had close ties to policymakers. Over time, a revolving door of agencies, contractors and policymakers has reinforced and expanded this system, consolidating funding and influence. Until 2006, USAID's website openly stated, 'The principal beneficiary of America's foreign assistance programs has always been the United States,' with nearly 80% of USAID contracts and grants flowing to US firms. By 2018, of the $48 billion in official development assistance (ODA), 21% went to governments, 20% to nonprofit organizations, 34% to multilateral organizations and 25% elsewhere. Despite reaching nearly $80 billion in 2023 under the Biden administration, ODA still accounted for just 1.17% of the federal budget. Trump's efforts to undermine ODA may not just be limited to cutting its spending but also extend to dismantling the core institutions that have driven American foreign policy for decades. Now, in his second term, his purge of the civil service is far more aggressive. After labeling institutions like USIP and the Inter-American Foundation as politicized and aligned with Democratic priorities, Trump has made it harder for Democrats to justify billions of dollars for projects abroad—especially given longstanding concerns over ODA's efficiency. In 2015, the acting deputy inspector general flagged USAID's 'chronic, systemic weaknesses,' citing poor oversight, weak risk management and human capital issues. By 2017, as Trump intensified scrutiny, the Carnegie Endowment reported that USAID 'lacked programmatic focus' and found both the State Department and USAID were overstretched, with little evaluation of their effectiveness. Aid often went to corrupt governments, was too small to make an impact, and failed to give Washington meaningful leverage. USIP, originally designed for conflict resolution when introduced in 1984, has increasingly been viewed by critics as a vehicle for nation-building. Similarly, AFRICOM, established in 2007 to promote US national security interests in Africa, has turned its focus toward counterterrorism, with limited results. Aid recipients also face restrictions, often required to purchase goods and services from donor countries like the United States. Other areas of ODA, such as global media outreach, promote a more traditional approach favored by Democrats and established foreign policy experts, have also lost their strategic edge as rival powers have undercut their effectiveness. US-backed media outlets like Voice of America, Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty have seen their influence wane amid competition from alternative international networks like Al Jazeera, RT and China's state-run media. These competitors have reshaped the global information sphere, while decentralized information and social media platforms have proven more effective at reaching audiences. Meanwhile, China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has demonstrated the effectiveness of direct infrastructure development investment, offering countries tangible benefits in exchange for strategic concessions, such as port access for Chinese ships. Russia and Israel, in contrast, have shown how unilateral military force can be used to advance foreign policy objectives. Trump views America's lingering military and economic dominance as key tools for reasserting US power in a changing global order. His more aggressive military stance and mercantilist economic approach prioritize coercion over multilateralism, seeking immediate and concrete gains in the national interest. While previous administrations invested in steady economic and diplomatic maneuvering, Trump's strategy emphasizes swift tariffs, threats and direct pressure to drive markets and provoke immediate reactions—an approach unpalatable to the ingrained culture of the current foreign policy bureaucracy. If successful in reshaping American foreign policy, Trump will force a departure from Washington's historical promotion of free trade. Former presidents like Bill Clinton, Bush and Barack Obama all reduced tariffs. While Biden eased some with the EU, he raised them on China. Trump's global tariff increases and trade wars will have far-reaching implications, signaling the potential end of the US as a faithful consumer market, challenging the dollar's status as the world's reserve currency and questioning its commitment to protecting global sea lanes. American democracy promotion, never a consistent priority, is now without even rhetorical commitment. While the US has long backed autocrats, Trump's acceptance of strongman rule extends to adversaries. His recent characterization of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a dictator while avoiding such language for Russian President Vladimir Putin shows a deliberate loosening of ideological constraints. Additionally, the US has long been averse to international law, refusing to ratify the International Criminal Court and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Yet, it has traditionally played a central role in upholding basic global legal frameworks, with Europe often supporting its efforts. Now shunning Europe, Washington's acceptance of border changes by Russia and Israel signals a growing respect for force, whether from allies or adversaries. China, Iran and others are taking note, and may soon strongly mirror the US's use of economic and political pressure, reducing the autonomy of smaller countries. Trump's ongoing dismantling of the foreign policy establishment does not indicate an American retreat from global affairs but rather a radical overhaul. Washington is shedding the post-World War II and post-Cold War neoliberal order it created, characterized by multilateralism, in favor of a more confrontational, transactional approach based on unilateral strength. The erosion of institutions is another mark of the end of America's 'unipolar moment' and a return to a more volatile and unpredictable era of global affairs. John P Ruehl is an Australian-American journalist living in Washington, D.C., and a world affairs correspondent for the Independent Media Institute. He is a contributor to several foreign affairs publications, and his book, Budget Superpower: How Russia Challenges the West With an Economy Smaller Than Texas' was published in December 2022. This article was produced by Economy for All, a project of the Independent Media Institute, and is republished with permission.
CNN
07-03-2025
- Business
- CNN
DOGE attempts to enter an agency building led to physical standoff that spilled into court
A small federal agency that sends money to help communities in Africa became a flashpoint Thursday in the Trump administration's efforts to shut down foreign aid and reduce the size of the federal government. A Trump-backed government official, staffers from the Department of Government Efficiency and federal law enforcement entered the offices of the U.S. African Development Foundation on Thursday, and the fight between the Senate-confirmed foundation's board and Trump administration emissaries spilled into an emergency court fight, according to court records and photos of the in-person standoff captured by the New York Times. The standoff was quelled when a judge stepped in Thursday afternoon, keeping the foundation's existing board in place for a few days until a court hearing could take place. The African Development Foundation, an independent agency that has provided more than $100 million to African farmers, entrepreneurs and community organizations in the last five years, has been among the foreign aid groups that Trump has targeted to eliminate via an executive order he issued two weeks ago. The work of DOGE at the agency so far, the lawsuit says, mirrors how other foreign aid agencies have been dismantled by the Trump administration. Trump's plan for the African Development Foundation snapped into action almost immediately, with DOGE staffers meeting with the foundation's leadership within days of Trump's February 21 executive order. The Trump administration then told a board member, Ward Brehm, he was being removed from his position, and a new acting chair would be in charge. Faced with the overhaul, the board held an emergency meeting on Monday to push back, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court in Washington this week. The board decided Trump's appointee, Peter Marocco — the de-facto acting leader of USAID, another agency Trump has targeted — was not lawfully in the job, and they alerted Congress, the removed board member Ward Brehm's lawsuit said. Marocco still showed up at the fund's headquarters with staffers of the Department of Government Efficiency on Wednesday afternoon. They 'were denied access to those offices,' the lawsuit said. 'Marocco and his colleagues threatened to return to the offices with United States Marshals and Secret Service.' Yet Marocco did get into the building on Thursday with the backing of federal law enforcement, Brehm's attorneys also said in court papers. Staffers from DOGE also attempted to get access to the foundation's computer systems and personnel files on Thursday, the court papers said. 'Marocco and DOGE showed up with U.S. Marshals and forced their way into USADF,' Brehm's lawyers wrote about the events of Thursday. 'At the very moment that this motion is being finalized, Marocco and DOGE are demanding—based on Marocco's illusory authority—immediate access to USADF's computer systems.' A White House official, however, defended the right of Marocco and his team to enter the building. 'Entitled, rogue bureaucrats have no authority to defy executive orders by the President of the United States or physically bar his representatives from entering the agencies they run,' Anna Kelly, a White House spokesperson, said on Friday. Kelly noted that Trump's previous order had reduced the foundation, as part of the executive branch, to its 'statutory minimum.' The New York Times published photos on Thursday of DOGE workers in an elevator at the foundation's offices and US Marshals walking down a hallway past the foundation's reception desk. A spokesperson for USADF said Friday the agency's locks were changed and staffers couldn't access the offices, adding that DOGE staffers have not been able to access USADF systems yet. The spokesperson claimed the agency's X account was banned or shut down on Thursday, which they described as 'a concerning development for the agency's right to free speech.' While the lawsuit, filed by lawyers from the left-leaning group Democracy Forward, contests Brehm's removal from the leadership post, it also argues that it fears the Trump administration is attempting to shutter the fund's work by ending its foreign development grants and taking over its software systems. 'We will continue to use every tool available to protect USADF and fight back against the Trump-Musk overreach,' Skye Perryman, the head of Democracy Forward, said in a statement on Thursday. The lawsuit argues that the African Development Foundation's board must be approved by the Senate. The Foundation was created specifically by an act of Congress 45 years ago, the lawsuit notes. Federal judge Richard Leon of the DC District Court on Thursday said that from now until a least a court hearing next Tuesday, Brehm can't be removed from the board and Marocco can't be appointed to it. CNN's Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
DOGE attempts to enter an agency building led to physical standoff that spilled into court
A small federal agency that sends money to help communities in Africa became a flashpoint Thursday in the Trump administration's efforts to shut down foreign aid and reduce the size of the federal government. A Trump-backed government official, staffers from the Department of Government Efficiency and federal law enforcement entered the offices of the U.S. African Development Foundation on Thursday, and the fight between the Senate-confirmed foundation's board and Trump administration emissaries spilled into an emergency court fight, according to court records and photos of the in-person standoff captured by the New York Times. The standoff was quelled when a judge stepped in Thursday afternoon, keeping the foundation's existing board in place for a few days until a court hearing could take place. The African Development Foundation, an independent agency that has provided more than $100 million to African farmers, entrepreneurs and community organizations in the last five years, has been among the foreign aid groups that Trump has targeted to eliminate via an executive order he issued two weeks ago. The work of DOGE at the agency so far, the lawsuit says, mirrors how other foreign aid agencies have been dismantled by the Trump administration. Trump's plan for the African Development Foundation snapped into action almost immediately, with DOGE staffers meeting with the foundation's leadership within days of Trump's February 21 executive order. The Trump administration then told a board member, Ward Brehm, he was being removed from his position, and a new acting chair would be in charge. Faced with the overhaul, the board held an emergency meeting on Monday to push back, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court in Washington this week. The board decided Trump's appointee, Peter Marocco — the de-facto acting leader of USAID, another agency Trump has targeted — was not lawfully in the job, and they alerted Congress, the removed board member Ward Brehm's lawsuit said. Marocco still showed up at the fund's headquarters with staffers of the Department of Government Efficiency on Wednesday afternoon. They 'were denied access to those offices,' the lawsuit said. 'Marocco and his colleagues threatened to return to the offices with United States Marshals and Secret Service.' Yet Marocco did get into the building on Thursday with the backing of federal law enforcement, Brehm's attorneys also said in court papers. Staffers from DOGE also attempted to get access to the foundation's computer systems and personnel files on Thursday, the court papers said. 'Marocco and DOGE showed up with U.S. Marshals and forced their way into USADF,' Brehm's lawyers wrote about the events of Thursday. 'At the very moment that this motion is being finalized, Marocco and DOGE are demanding—based on Marocco's illusory authority—immediate access to USADF's computer systems.' The New York Times published photos on Thursday of DOGE workers in an elevator at the foundation's offices and US Marshals walking down a hallway past the foundation's reception desk. A spokesperson for USADF said Friday the agency's locks were changed and staffers couldn't access the offices, adding that DOGE staffers have not been able to access USADF systems yet. The spokesperson claimed the agency's X account was banned or shut down on Thursday, which they described as 'a concerning development for the agency's right to free speech.' While the lawsuit, filed by lawyers from the left-leaning group Democracy Forward, contests Brehm's removal from the leadership post, it also argues that it fears the Trump administration is attempting to shutter the fund's work by ending its foreign development grants and taking over its software systems. 'We will continue to use every tool available to protect USADF and fight back against the Trump-Musk overreach,' Skye Perryman, the head of Democracy Forward, said in a statement on Thursday. The lawsuit argues that the African Development Foundation's board must be approved by the Senate. The Foundation was created specifically by an act of Congress 45 years ago, the lawsuit notes. Federal judge Richard Leon of the DC District Court on Thursday said that from now until a least a court hearing next Tuesday, Brehm can't be removed from the board and Marocco can't be appointed to it. CNN's Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report.
