The Trump administration has placed dozens of US agency’s highest career officers for international development (USAID) on license, according to several sources.
To a surprising measure, about 60 career officers were notified on Monday (27) that they would be placed on immediate license. Sources said there was a particular focus on USAID’s legal advice office.
An internal statement by interim administrator Jason Gray linked the action to President Donald Trump’s recent executive order ,.
“We identified several actions within USAID that seemed to be destined to circumvent the president’s executive orders and the mandate of the American people,” Gray said in a message to USAID employees, which was seen by CNN.
Gray stated that employees were being on license with all the benefits “while we concluded our analysis of these actions.”
On Friday (24), he informed the diplomatic posts around the world that all foreign aid, with some exceptions, was immediately suspended, awaiting a deeper review.
CNN contacted USAID to comment. The policy was the first to report on the officers being placed on leave.
