Former DOGE official rushed grant to Trump-backed Gaza aid group over staff objections
Jeremy Lewin, a former Department of Government Efficiency associate, approved the funds despite an assessment stating that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's (GHF) proposal failed to meet 'minimum technical or budgetary standards.'
The June 24 action memorandum was sent to Lewin by Kenneth Jackson, another former DOGE official now serving as acting deputy administrator of the US Agency for International Development (USAID). The two have overseen the agency's dismantling and the merger of its functions into the State Department.
Lewin also overrode 58 objections from USAID staff who wanted GHF to resolve numerous issues in its application before the funds were approved, two sources told Reuters.
The $30 million was cleared just five days after GHF submitted its proposal on June 19. In a June 25 email to USAID leadership, Lewin cited 'strong Admin support for this one' and urged that the money be disbursed 'ASAP.'
The documents highlight how the Trump administration prioritized GHF despite its lack of experience and the deaths of more than 500 Palestinians near the group's Gaza distribution sites.
GHF, which coordinates closely with the Israeli military, has acknowledged reports of violence but said they occurred outside its operational areas.
Lewin noted in his email that he had discussed the award with aides to Trump's Gaza negotiator, Steve Witkoff, and with Secretary of State Marco Rubio's office. He admitted the move would be controversial, writing: 'I'm taking the bullet on this one.'
The White House referred Reuters to a State Department statement, which defended the approval under emergency provisions to 'meet humanitarian needs as expeditiously as possible.' It added the award would remain under 'rigorous oversight,' with new reporting and control requirements.
– Raising the risk –
A GHF spokesperson said the group's model 'is specifically designed to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse,' adding that such government inquiries were routine.
Addressing the waived safeguards, the spokesperson said GHF was 'addressing each question as per regulations and normal procedure.'
GHF claims its operations prevent ISIS from hijacking food aid and using it to exert control over Gaza's population — an accusation denied by the group. In the action memo, Jackson called GHF 'uniquely positioned to operate in areas with restricted access' and credited it with delivering millions of meals and weakening Hamas's influence.
Jackson also acknowledged GHF had not met USAID's formal eligibility criteria and listed the nine waived requirements, which are normally mandatory. These included legal vetting for ties to extremist organizations and assessments of internal controls to prevent misuse of funds.
Waiving the vetting 'could increase the risk' that GHF or its subcontractors might be linked to terrorist activity, the document said.
GHF's required risk management plan was also incomplete. Jackson wrote that approving the award without it 'could risk programmatic diversion, reputational harm, and potential violations of US counterterrorism laws.'
Nonetheless, Jackson recommended the waivers based on the 'humanitarian and political urgency' of GHF's mission. Lewin approved each item.
Two former senior USAID officials said they had never seen such a move over professional staff objections.
'I oversaw something like 1,500 grants. I never saw it happen,' said Sarah Charles, who led USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance from 2021 to 2024. 'Very occasionally, we would do the vetting after an award in a sudden-onset emergency — think earthquake — but that was at the recommendation of staff.'
USAID staff had questioned whether GHF could ensure safety for Palestinians collecting food packages, whether its team had adequate humanitarian training, and its plan to distribute powdered infant formula in an area with limited access to clean water.
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