WASHINGTON (AP) — At least 56 senior officials in the top U.S. aid and development agency were placed on leave Monday amid an investigation into an alleged effort to thwart President Donald Trump’s orders.
A current official and a former official at the U.S. Agency for International Development confirmed the reason given for the move Monday. Both spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.
Several hundred contractors based in Washington and elsewhere also were laid off, the officials said.
It follows Trump’s executive order last week that directed a sweeping 90-day pause on most U.S. foreign assistance disbursed through the State Department.
As a result of the freeze, thousands of U.S.-funded
→ Continue reading at The Associated Press
