International Relief and Development, the suspended nonprofit and formerly the U.S. Agency for International Development’s largest contractor operating in Iraq and Afghanistan, is awaiting response from the agency to a lawsuit filed to contest IRD’s suspension.
The organization claims USAID suspended IRD’s operations unlawfully, and that the agency did not consider financial evidence and reforms offered by the nonprofit months before the suspension was announced in February. The court filing submitted by IRD alleges that USAID is “making an example” of IRD in order to appease U.S. lawmakers who want more aid oversight.
Allegations of financial misconduct have hounded IRD, formerly run by founder Arthur Keys Jr., for months. The nonprofit’s leaders allegedly handed out extravagant gifts, bonuses and vacations to executives and issued confidentiality agreements that appeared to prevent former staff from speaking out.
About the author
Molly Andersmollyanders_dev
Molly Anders is a former U.K. correspondent for Devex. Based in London, she reports on development finance trends with a focus on British and European institutions. She is especially interested in evidence-based development and women’s economic empowerment, as well as innovative financing for the protection of migrants and refugees. Molly is a former Fulbright Scholar and studied Arabic in Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Morocco.
