Halfway through last month, a new kind of email began hitting the inboxes of aid organization staff. Sent by a user called Defend the Spend, it asked financial heads for payment justification before any further cash could be disbursed.
“Thank you for providing your recent payment request,” states one copy of the email seen by Devex. “An ideal payment justification includes a specific description of why the funds are necessary, and why they are aligned with the award.”
The emails — landing when staff attempt to draw down project funds — are arriving just as organizations say USAID payments have slowed. A recent court filing noted that last week, the Trump administration processed 99% fewer payments than it had one month earlier. And now, the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, has stalled payments again, with emails from defendthespend@hhs.gov demanding a “detailed justification” before any work is reimbursed.
About the author
Elissa Miolene
Elissa Miolene reports on USAID and the U.S. government at Devex. She previously covered education at The San Jose Mercury News, and has written for outlets like The Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Washingtonian magazine, among others. Before shifting to journalism, Elissa led communications for humanitarian agencies in the United States, East Africa, and South Asia.
