Latest news with #JeremyLewin
The Herald
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald
US aid workers 'lobbied for weeks' to save food stocks from destruction after Trump cuts
His administration announced plans to shut down USAid in January, leaving more than 60,000 tonnes of food aid stuck in stores around the world, Reuters reported in May. The food aid stuck in Dubai was fortified wheat biscuits, which are calorie-rich and typically deployed in crisis conditions where people lack cooking facilities, 'providing immediate nutrition for a child or adult', according to the UN World Food Programme (WFP). The WFP says 319-million people face acute levels of food insecurity worldwide. Of those, 1.9-million people are gripped by catastrophic hunger and on the brink of famine, primarily in Gaza and Sudan. After Jeremy Lewin and Kenneth Jackson, operatives of the budget-slashing department of government efficiency were appointed acting deputy USAid administrators and began terminating food security programmes, USAid staff were barred from communicating with aid organisations asking to take the biscuits, two sources said. A state department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it was 'entirely false' that USAid staff were barred from communicating with aid groups, and that 'there was no direction given not to engage'. Reuters, however, reported that a January 25 email sent by Jackson emphasising a 'complete halt' to all foreign assistance banned USAid staff from any communications outside the agency unless approved by their front office. 'Failure to abide by this directive will result in disciplinary action,' said the memo reviewed by Reuters. US secretary of state Marco Rubio told legislators on May 21 no food aid would be wasted as USAid staff were waiting for Lewin to sign off on a deal to transfer the 622 tonnes of biscuits to the WFP for distribution before they began expiring in September.
Al Arabiya
10-07-2025
- Business
- Al Arabiya
Former DOGE official rushed grant to Trump-backed Gaza aid group over staff objections
A top US State Department official waived nine mandatory counterterrorism and anti-fraud safeguards to rush a $30 million award last month to a Gaza aid group backed by the Trump administration and Israel, according to an internal memorandum seen by Reuters. 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.
Globe and Mail
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
Former DOGE official rushed US$30-million grant to Trump-backed Gaza aid group despite objections
A top U.S. State Department official waived nine mandatory counterterrorism and anti-fraud safeguards to rush a $30 million award last month to a Gaza aid group backed by the Trump administration and Israel, according to an internal memorandum seen by Reuters. Jeremy Lewin, a former Department of Government Efficiency associate, signed off on the award despite an assessment in the memorandum that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's (GHF) funding plan failed to meet required 'minimum technical or budgetary standards.' The June 24 action memorandum to Lewin was sent by Kenneth Jackson, also a former DOGE operative who serves as an acting deputy U.S. Agency for International Development administrator. The pair has overseen the agency's dismantling and the merger of its functions into the State Department. Lewin also overrode 58 objections that USAID staff experts wanted GHF to resolve in its application before the funds were approved, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Lewin, who runs the State Department's foreign aid program, cleared the funds only five days after GHF filed its proposal on June 19, according to the June 24 'action memorandum' bearing his signature seen by Reuters. 'Strong Admin support for this one,' Lewin wrote to USAID leaders in a June 25 e-mail – also seen by Reuters – that urged disbursement of the funds by the agency 'ASAP.' The action memorandum was first reported by CNN. Dozens of Palestinians killed by airstrikes or shootings while waiting for aid Opinion: With Trump's support, Netanyahu is poised to get his way in Gaza Lewin and Jackson did not respond to requests for comment. The documents underline the priority the Trump administration has given GHF despite the group's lack of experience and the killing of hundreds of Palestinians near its Gaza aid distribution hubs. GHF, which closely co-ordinates with the Israeli military, has acknowledged reports of violence but says they occurred beyond its operations area. Lewin noted in the email that he had discussed the funds with aides to Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump's negotiator on Gaza, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio's office. He acknowledged that authorizing the funds would be controversial, writing: 'I'm taking the bullet on this one.' The White House, asked for comment, referred to a State Department statement provided to Reuters. Witkoff and Rubio did not reply to a question about whether they were aware of and supported the decision to waive the safeguards. The State Department said in its statement that the $30 million was approved under a legal provision allowing USAID to expedite awards in response to 'emergency situations' to 'meet humanitarian needs as expeditiously as possible.' 'The GHF award remains subject to rigorous oversight, including of GHF's operations and finances,' the statement said. 'As part of the award, GHF was subject to new control and reporting requirements.' In response to a request for comment, a GHF spokesperson said: 'Our model is specifically designed to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse. Every dollar we receive is safeguarded to ensure all resources – which will eventually include American taxpayer funds – reach the people of Gaza.' The spokesperson added that such requests for clarification from the U.S. government about fund applications were routine. Speaking about the nine conditions that were waived, the spokesperson said: 'We are addressing each question as per regulations and normal procedure and will continue to do so as required.' GHF says its operation is preventing Hamas from hijacking food aid and using it to control the enclave's population, charges denied by the Islamist militants who ran Gaza. In the June 24 action memorandum, Jackson wrote that GHF is 'uniquely positioned to operate in areas with restricted access,' and said it has delivered millions of meals and diluted Hamas' control over Gaza's 2.1 million Palestinians. He acknowledged that GHF 'is a new organization that has not met USAID's various formal criteria for eligibility' for the $30 million award. Jackson listed nine conditions that applicants normally must satisfy before receiving USAID funds, explicitly outlining the terms of each and the risks of waiving them. For instance, he noted a 'legal requirement' that aid organizations working in Gaza or the West Bank undergo vetting for ties to extremist organizations before they are awarded USAID funds, the document said. 'Waiving the requirement could increase the risk' that an aid group, its subcontractors or vendors 'could be found ineligible due to terrorism-related concerns,' said the document. Jackson also wrote that USAID was required to examine whether an organization has sufficient internal controls to manage awards. He warned that waiving the condition 'could raise the risk of misuse of taxpayer resources,' according to the document. GHF submitted a plan – required prior to approval of funds – that was incomplete on how it would deal with legal and operational risks of operating in Gaza, the document said. Waiving the need for a full plan 'could risk programmatic diversion, reputational harm, and potential violations of U.S. counterterrorism laws,' it continued. Despite the risks, Jackson recommended waiving all nine requirements and allowing GHF to fulfill them later because of the 'humanitarian and political urgency' of its operation, the memo said. Lewin checked a box labelled 'Approve' on each of the recommendations, it showed. In addition to waiving the nine requirements, two sources familiar with the matter said, Lewin overrode 58 objections from USAID staff reviewing GHF's application. Two former top USAID officials said they had never heard of a senior official like Lewin expediting an award over the objections of professional staff. 'I oversaw something like 1,500 grants. I never saw it happen,' said Sarah Charles, who led USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance from 2021-2024. '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.' In the review, the USAID experts questioned how GHF would ensure the safety of Palestinians collecting food packages at its sites; whether its staff had proper humanitarian training and its plans to distribute powdered infant formula in an enclave with scarce access to clean drinking water, the sources said.
Reuters
10-07-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Former DOGE official rushed grant to Trump-backed Gaza aid group over staff objections
WASHINGTON, July 9 (Reuters) - A top U.S. State Department official waived nine mandatory counterterrorism and anti-fraud safeguards to rush a $30 million award last month to a Gaza aid group backed by the Trump administration and Israel, according to an internal memorandum seen by Reuters. Jeremy Lewin, a former Department of Government Efficiency associate, signed off on the award despite an assessment in the memorandum that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's (GHF) funding plan failed to meet required "minimum technical or budgetary standards." The June 24 action memorandum to Lewin was sent by Kenneth Jackson, also a former DOGE operative who serves as an acting deputy U.S. Agency for International Development administrator. The pair has overseen the agency's dismantling and the merger of its functions into the State Department. Lewin also overrode 58 objections that USAID staff experts wanted GHF to resolve in its application before the funds were approved, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Lewin, who runs the State Department's foreign aid program, cleared the funds only five days after GHF filed its proposal on June 19, according to the June 24 "action memorandum" bearing his signature seen by Reuters. "Strong Admin support for this one," Lewin wrote to USAID leaders in a June 25 email - also seen by Reuters - that urged disbursement of the funds by the agency "ASAP." The action memorandum was first reported by CNN. Lewin and Jackson did not respond to requests for comment. The documents underline the priority the Trump administration has given GHF despite the group's lack of experience and the killing of hundreds of Palestinians near its Gaza aid distribution hubs. GHF, which closely coordinates with the Israeli military, has acknowledged reports of violence but says they occurred beyond its operations area. Lewin noted in the email that he had discussed the funds with aides to Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump's negotiator on Gaza, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio's office. He acknowledged that authorizing the funds would be controversial, writing: "I'm taking the bullet on this one." The White House, asked for comment, referred to a State Department statement provided to Reuters. Witkoff and Rubio did not reply to a question about whether they were aware of and supported the decision to waive the safeguards. The State Department said in its statement that the $30 million was approved under a legal provision allowing USAID to expedite awards in response to "emergency situations" to "meet humanitarian needs as expeditiously as possible." "The GHF award remains subject to rigorous oversight, including of GHF's operations and finances," the statement said. "As part of the award, GHF was subject to new control and reporting requirements." In response to a request for comment, a GHF spokesperson said: "Our model is specifically designed to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse. Every dollar we receive is safeguarded to ensure all resources — which will eventually include American taxpayer funds — reach the people of Gaza." The spokesperson added that such requests for clarification from the U.S. government about fund applications were routine. Speaking about the nine conditions that were waived, the spokesperson said: "We are addressing each question as per regulations and normal procedure and will continue to do so as required." GHF says its operation is preventing Hamas from hijacking food aid and using it to control the enclave's population, charges denied by the Islamist militants who ran Gaza. In the June 24 action memorandum, Jackson wrote that GHF is 'uniquely positioned to operate in areas with restricted access,' and said it has delivered millions of meals and diluted Hamas' control over Gaza's 2.1 million Palestinians. He acknowledged that GHF 'is a new organization that has not met USAID's various formal criteria for eligibility' for the $30 million award. Jackson listed nine conditions that applicants normally must satisfy before receiving USAID funds, explicitly outlining the terms of each and the risks of waiving them. For instance, he noted a 'legal requirement' that aid organizations working in Gaza or the West Bank undergo vetting for ties to extremist organizations before they are awarded USAID funds, the document said. 'Waiving the requirement could increase the risk' that an aid group, its subcontractors or vendors 'could be found ineligible due to terrorism-related concerns,' said the document. Jackson also wrote that USAID was required to examine whether an organization has sufficient internal controls to manage awards. He warned that waiving the condition 'could raise the risk of misuse of taxpayer resources,' according to the document. GHF submitted a plan – required prior to approval of funds – that was incomplete on how it would deal with legal and operational risks of operating in Gaza, the document said. Waiving the need for a full plan 'could risk programmatic diversion, reputational harm, and potential violations of U.S. counterterrorism laws," it continued. Despite the risks, Jackson recommended waiving all nine requirements and allowing GHF to fulfill them later because of the "humanitarian and political urgency" of its operation, the memo said. Lewin checked a box labeled 'Approve' on each of the recommendations, it showed. In addition to waiving the nine requirements, two sources familiar with the matter said, Lewin overrode 58 objections from USAID staff reviewing GHF's application. Two former top USAID officials said they had never heard of a senior official like Lewin expediting an award over the objections of professional staff. "I oversaw something like 1,500 grants. I never saw it happen," said Sarah Charles, who led USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance from 2021-2024. "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." In the review, the USAID experts questioned how GHF would ensure the safety of Palestinians collecting food packages at its sites; whether its staff had proper humanitarian training and its plans to distribute powdered infant formula in an enclave with scarce access to clean drinking water, the sources said.
Al Jazeera
09-07-2025
- Business
- Al Jazeera
Ex-DOGE official rushed Trump‑backed GHF grant despite staff warnings
A top US Department of State official waived nine mandatory counterterrorism and anti-fraud safeguards to rush a $30m award last month to a controversial Gaza aid group backed by the Trump administration and Israel, according to an internal memorandum. Jeremy Lewin, a former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) associate, signed off on the award despite an assessment in the memorandum that the GHF funding plan failed to meet required 'minimum technical or budgetary standards'. The June 24 action memorandum to Lewin was sent by Kenneth Jackson, also a former DOGE operative who serves as an acting deputy US Agency for International Development (USAID) administrator. The pair has overseen the agency's dismantling and the merger of its functions into the State Department. Lewin also overrode 58 objections that USAID staff experts wanted GHF to resolve in its application before the funds were approved, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Lewin, who runs the State Department's foreign aid programme, cleared the funds only five days after GHF filed its proposal on June 19, according to the June 24 'action memorandum' bearing his signature. 'Strong Admin support for this one,' Lewin wrote to USAID leaders in a June 25 email that urged disbursement of the funds by the agency 'ASAP'. Lewin and Jackson have not issued comments on the matter. The documents underline the priority the Trump administration has given GHF despite the group's lack of experience and the killing of hundreds of Palestinians near its Gaza aid distribution hubs. GHF, which closely coordinates with the Israeli military, has acknowledged reports of violence, but claims they occurred beyond its operations area. Lewin noted in the email that he had discussed the funds with aides to Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump's negotiator on Gaza, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio's office. He acknowledged that authorising the funds would be controversial, writing, 'I'm taking the bullet on this one.' 'Inhumane and deadly' The White House did not respond to requests for comment. Witkoff and Rubio did not reply to a question about whether they were aware of and supported the decision to waive the safeguards, according to the Reuters news agency. The State Department said in a statement that the $30m was approved under a legal provision allowing USAID to expedite awards in response to 'emergency situations' to 'meet humanitarian needs as expeditiously as possible'. 'The GHF award remains subject to rigorous oversight, including of GHF's operations and finances,' the statement said. 'As part of the award, GHF was subject to new control and reporting requirements'. In response to a request for comment, a GHF spokesperson said, 'Our model is specifically designed to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse. Every dollar we receive is safeguarded to ensure all resources — which will eventually include American taxpayer funds — reach the people of Gaza.' The spokesperson added that such requests for clarification from the US government about fund applications were routine. Speaking about the nine conditions that were waived, the spokesperson said, 'We are addressing each question as per regulations and normal procedure and will continue to do so as required.' Gaza's Health Ministry has said at least 743 Palestinians have been killed and more than 4,891 others injured while seeking assistance at GHF aid sites. The GHF, which began operating in the bombarded Palestinian enclave in late May, has drawn widespread criticism amid multiple reports that its contractors, as well as Israeli forces, have opened fire on aid seekers. Leading humanitarian and human rights groups have demanded the immediate closure of the GHF, which they accused of 'forcing two million people into overcrowded, militarised zones where they face daily gunfire and mass casualties'. Amnesty International has described the group's operations as an 'inhumane and deadly militarised scheme', while the UN insists that the model is violating humanitarian principles. Palestinians under bombardment in Gaza, where a famine looms as Israel maintains a crippling blockade, have no choice but to seek aid from the GHF despite the risks involved.
