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Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Government Officials Put on Leave After Allegedly Trying to Circumvent Trump’s Orders

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‘We now have positioned quite a few USAID workers on administrative go away with full pay and advantages till additional discover,’ USAID’s performing administrator stated.

Officers who work on the U.S. Company for Worldwide Improvement (USAID) have been positioned on go away as a result of they allegedly tried to discover a method round govt orders from President Donald Trump, in response to a memorandum despatched to company staffers on Jan. 27.

New management at USAID recognized a number of actions within the company that “gave the impression to be designed to bypass the President’s Govt Orders and the mandate from the American individuals,” USAID’s performing administrator, Jason Grey, stated within the memo.

“In consequence, we now have positioned quite a few USAID workers on administrative go away with full pay and advantages till additional discover whereas we full our evaluation of those actions,” he added.

USAID didn’t reply to a request for extra data. It was not clear what number of USAID officers have been positioned on go away.

“Persons are calling it the Monday afternoon bloodbath,” in response to Francisco Bencosme, who was USAID’s China coverage lead till earlier this month. “This choice undermines our nationwide safety and emboldens our adversaries. … As a substitute of specializing in China, North Korea, or Russia, the Trump Administration goes after public servants who’ve served a number of administrations—together with the primary Trump administration.”

Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), the rating member of the Home Overseas Affairs Committee, stated in a press release that the transfer was dangerous and had no profit. He described the officers eliminated as apolitical.

USAID is an unbiased federal company that leads U.S. efforts on worldwide improvement and humanitarian help to different nations. Examples of the company’s work embrace offering assets to overseas farmers and serving to nations set up and enhance faculties.

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Republicans have been important of some USAID priorities, together with offering funds to Afghanistan to distribute contraceptives.

“USAID must be dismantled,” Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) wrote on social media platform X on Monday.

Trump has signed a flurry of govt orders since taking workplace. Some pertain to USAID and the State Division, with which USAID works usually.

One order suspended U.S. overseas assist for 90 days. The White Home stated the suspension was as a result of the U.S. authorities’s overseas coverage is “not aligned with American pursuits and in lots of instances antithetical to American values.”
A spokesperson for the State Division stated on Jan. 26 that Secretary of State Marco Rubio, per the order, has paused all overseas help funded by or by way of the State Division and the USAID.

“He’s initiating a evaluation of all overseas help packages to make sure they’re environment friendly and per U.S. overseas coverage beneath the America First agenda,” Tammy Bruce, the spokesperson, stated.

A second memo, despatched over the weekend, knowledgeable USAID employees that the pause on overseas assist spending meant “a whole halt,” with exceptions for emergency humanitarian meals help and officers returning to their obligation stations.

Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations, on Monday known as for the U.S. authorities to think about further exemptions “to make sure the continued supply of important improvement and humanitarian actions for probably the most weak communities world wide, whose lives and livelihoods rely on this help.”

Reuters contributed to this report.

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