The U.S. African Development Foundation has been taken over by staff members from the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, and a U.S. marshal — with several foundation personnel locked out of the agency’s treasury systems on Thursday morning.
“The United States African Development Foundation offices were entered today by Mr. Peter Marocco and others who we do not believe are authorized to represent the agency,” according to an official statement from the agency. “USADF is fully complying with its statutory obligations. We will follow the law with the expectation that our staff will be treated with dignity and respect.”
The takeover occurred after a failed attempt to gain access to the building one day earlier. At 10:30 this morning, the same team — which included Peter Marocco, who serves as both the acting deputy administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development and the director of the State Department’s Office of Foreign Assistance — and several staffers from DOGE tried to enter the building again.
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.
