Posted on 04/07/2025 4:36:24 AM PDT by Red Badger
In an astonishing display of force and determination, DOGE personnel and federal law enforcement had an in-person standoff with workers at The African Development Foundation, a small federal agency that has sent over $100 million in aid to Africa. The foundation was one of dozens of agencies that DOGE put in their crosshairs as the culprits of wasteful government spending.
For context, DOGE (The Department of Government Efficiency), headed by SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk, has been working tirelessly to root out corruption and waste within the federal government. DOGE’s work has reportedly led to billions of dollars saved, and this outcome has been met with uproarious praise from conservatives.
The standoff at the US African Development Foundation began on Thursday, March 6, and involved DOGE staffers, US Marshalls, and other government officials, who faced intense resistance from the personnel at the small foreign aid-focused agency. According to CNN coverage, several members of The African Development Foundation’s board were present when DOGE and law enforcement showed up, intensifying the exchange that followed.
When DOGE arrived at the offices of The African Development Foundation, an altercation broke out quickly, and the conflict transformed into an emergency court case. The case concluded with a judge intervening to temporarily prevent DOGE from making any changes to The African Development Foundation’s leadership structure.
However, under direct orders from President Trump, one board member, Ward Brehm, was already removed from his position at the foundation and told that someone else would take his board seat. Brehm’s replacement has not yet been announced. In response to DOGE’s efficiency-focused work, the board of The African Development Foundation held an emergency meeting in an attempt to counter DOGE’s efforts.
The board members at The African Development Foundation have acted out of shameless desperation since DOGE arrived at their doors, even attempting to get Congress to come to their aid. The removed board member Ward Brehm told CNN that The African Development Foundation’s board attempted to push back at the appointing of Peter Marocco — Trump’s choice to be the de-facto leader of USAID, another agency that has come under fire for wasteful spending.
As the current leader of USAID, Mr. Marocco played a key role in getting DOGE access to the offices of The African Development Foundation. Marocco told the board members who were present on March 6 that he would come back with United States Marshals and Secret service if not granted access. In the end, US Marshals did help Mr. Marocco and DOGE staffers enter the offices of The African Development Foundation.
When questioned by the press about DOGE’s forceful entry into the agency’s offices, White House Spokesperson Anna Kelly said, “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.” This statement echoes the ethos of President Trump’s recent executive orders, which have reduced the operational capacity of executive branch agencies and foundations to their “statutory minimum” in an effort to reduce wasteful spending.
Turn off the spigot.
“The African Development Foundation” - close it down with extreme prejudice. Defund.
“The African Development Foundation” 50x. We get it. ADF would work as would GTFO!
All the wasteful little boondoggle agencies like this need to be shut down. If you have to bring the SWAT team with you to batter down the doors....so be it.
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.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/07/politics/us-african-development-agency-standoff/index.html
Why are any members of the “intense resistance” still breathing?
Expeditiously remove the carcasses in body bags, and get on with business.
How some Mad Maxine and the Cong. Black Caucus where not there protesting and blocking the DOGE team from entering? Seems they don’t care about Africans getting some free Federal millions.
Just the fact that they are needing Federal Marshals to gain access tells you all you need to know..............CORRUPTION BIG TIME...................
Just this one DOGE episode would make a great one act play, or scene from a movie. No matter what future disputes of policy Elon gets into with the White House, I will always be thankful to him for organizing the DOGE Raids.
Africa? This Federal agency is custom designed, its a natural for NGO grifts and bribes, kickbacks etc.
DOGE Day Afternoon......................
send money to Africa.. or save social security...
that is the choice. And I already know how Americans will vote
the quicker DOGE can get to the information center for any of these rogue money laundering operations theless chance the criminals working on site have to destroy records of that agency. wishing the DOGE team could do full SWAT style entries to these places. now THAT Would be TV worth watching! make the first couple of times into a nationwide PSA and when DOGE knocks...the door will open immediately. one big beautiful knock is all it will take.
March 6, 2025
Federal marshals on Thursday escorted officials from the Department of Government Efficiency into the U.S. African Development Foundation, a day after its employees refused entry to the Trump administration’s budget-slashing unit and Pete Marocco, the State Department official in charge of foreign aid.
Once inside, security officials were directed to change the federal agency’s locks, according to a security official at the scene. Mr. Marocco was seen entering the building separately from DOGE officials, according to video posted online, and the security official said he was briefly in the building.
Thursday’s takeover of the small foundation, which has about 55 employees and an annual budget of about $45 million, came after a weekslong standoff between administration officials and the foundation’s leaders. The leaders refused to succumb to the efforts of Mr. Marocco and the Department of Government of Efficiency team, overseen by Elon Musk, to assume control of their functions, dismiss staff members and install Mr. Marocco as the acting leader.
Barely an hour after the officials arrived on Thursday with federal marshals, the foundation’s president, Ward Brehm, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia seeking to prevent Mr. Marocco from ousting him and usurping control.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/06/us/politics/doge-african-aid-agency.html
++++++++ Lots of details here from the NYT.
Hard to imagine there could have been any waste, fraud and abuse there!
Don’t defy the DOGE Dog’s disquisition to de-fund Democrats!
Investigate and prosecute these filth for all the kickbacks and graft.
Perfect! An Elon like character can take the Al Pacino part.
The real Elon would be far too busy counting taxpayer money now saved.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.