The Trump administrator owes millions of American cases in unpaid invoices in the middle of the USAID closure, the trial said

By Ellen Knickmeyer

Washington (AP) – The dismantling by the Trump Administration of the US Agency for International Development Raidir US companies on hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid invoices for the work that has already been accomplished, according to a trial brought on Tuesday.

The brutal freezing of the administration on foreign aid also obliges mass dismissals by American suppliers and entrepreneurs for the USAID, including 750 content in a company, Chemonics International in Washington, according to the trial.

“We cannot overestimate the impact of this illegal course of driving: on large and small companies forced to close their programs and let employees go; on hungry children around the world that will get along; On populations around the world faced with a deadly disease; And on our constitutional order, ”said US companies and organizations.

An organization representing 170 small American businesses, main suppliers, an American Jewish group helping people displaced abroad, the American Bar Association and others joined the challenge of the court.

It was filed in us District Court in Washington Against President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Acting Usaid Deputy Administrator Peter Marocco, A Trump Appointe who Has Been A Central Figure in Hollowing Out the Agency, and Russell Vought, Trump’s Head of the Management and budget office.

This is at least the third trial on the rapid disassembly of the administration of the American aid and development agency and its programs worldwide. Trump and Ally Elon Musk targeted USAID in particular, saying that his work is offline with Trump’s agenda.

Marocco, Musk and Rubio supervised a freeze on the sides on foreign assistance and the agency’s judgment under an executive decree of January 20 by Trump. A trial brought by associations of federal employees temporarily prevented the administration from withdrawing thousands of staff from USAID of work. The freeze and other measures have persisted, including the agency losing the lease in its headquarters in Washington.

The new administration has dismissed contracts without notice required of 30 days and without payment for the work that has already been made, according to an American official, a businessman with a USAID contract and an email seen by the ‘Associated Press. They spoke under the guise of anonymity for fear of reprisals from the Trump administration.

For the Chemonics, one of the largest partners in the USAID, the financing freezing meant $ 103 million in unpaid bills and nearly $ 500 million in medicines ordered by USAID, food and D ‘Other standby products in the supply chain or ports, depending on the trial.

For health products alone, not to deliver them “in time could potentially lead to 566,000 deaths by HIV / AIDS, malaria and non -satisfied reproductive health needs, including 215,000 pediatric deaths,” said the trial.

The file claims that the administration does not have the power to block programs and funded funding by congress without approval.

Marocco defended the financing cut and pushed to put everything except a fraction of the USAID staff on leave in a affidavit deposited late Monday in the trial brought by the groups of workers.

“Insubordination” and “non-compliance” by USAID staff have made it necessary to stop funding and operations of the agency to allow the administration to carry out a program exam by program by program by program by program by program by program by program by program by program To decide what American aid programs could resume abroad, wrote Moroccoco.

Originally published: February 11, 2025 at 10:50 am PST