Senior USAID security officials put on leave after refusing Musk’s DOGE access to agency systems
CNN
Two top security officials at the US Agency for International Development were put on administrative leave Saturday night after refusing to allow officials from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to access systems at the agency, even after DOGE personnel threatened to call law enforcement, multiple sources familiar told CNN.
Two top security officials at the US Agency for International Development were put on administrative leave Saturday night after refusing to allow officials from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to access systems at the agency, even after DOGE personnel threatened to call law enforcement, multiple sources familiar told CNN. Personnel from the Musk-created office physically tried to access the USAID headquarters in Washington, DC, and were stopped. The DOGE personnel demanded to be let in and threatened to call US Marshals to be allowed access, two of the sources said. Three of the sources said the DOGE personnel wanted to gain access to security systems and personnel files. Two of those sources said also they wanted access to classified information. USAID Director of Security John Voorhees and his deputy are the latest officials who have been put on leave amid fears that the agency is being intentionally dismantled by the Trump administration. Rumors are swirling that President Donald Trump intends to sign an executive order to fold USAID into the US State Department – a move that Democratic lawmakers say is illegal. USAID dispenses billions of dollars annually all over the world in an effort to alleviate poverty, treat diseases and respond to famines and natural disasters. The agency’s workforce totals more than 10,000 people (excluding contractors), with two-thirds of them overseas, according to the Congressional Research Service. USAID provided assistance to about 130 countries in fiscal year 2023.
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