The Biden administration finds itself facing legal action, the root cause of which stems from allegations that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has been tactfully evasive about revealing documents related to its funding of anti-Israel groups overseas. These documents were demanded by the Center to Advance Security in America, an established Washington, D.C.-based think tank focused on national security. The think tank claims that they have not received the records they duly asked for in July, specifically those elucidating USAID’s provision of grants and contracts to foreign groups believed to lead and support campaigns against Israel.
The ostensible funding of these anti-Israel entities was initially brought to light earlier in July following a comprehensive investigation into taxpayer-backed awards, tracking as far back as 2008. USAID has been pinpointed for shoveling millions of dollars towards depraved non-governmental organizations, each vociferously opposing Israel. Such a stream of funding raises eyebrows and, thus, demands proper oversight and transparency; however, the Biden administration remains seemingly complacent about the situation.
Making matters more opaque, USAID has allegedly failed in showing transparency regarding the decision process that led to these radical NGOs being awarded enormous chunks of taxpayer dollars. The lack of clarity extends to the specific officials who were involved in this questionable selection. By all appearances, there seems to be a hidden narrative behind USAID’s consistent stonewalling of the Center’s requests.
The list of beneficiaries of this seemingly obscured funding includes entities such as the Netherlands-based Center for Research on Multinational Corporations, the Norwegian People’s Aid in Norway, and Ireland’s Catholic Church agency Trocaire. These organizations, all of which operate outside American soil, are fervently part of the pro-Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions campaigns against Israel. This effectively means that American tax money could be fueling activities fundamentally opposing the interests of an ally nation.
Equally alarming is the deliberate push from these foreign NGOs for the United States to sever its aid to Israel completely. This stance provides a stark contrast to the State Department’s claims of being a ‘strong partner in opposing efforts to delegitimize Israel.’ Such hypocrisy from the Biden administration is all too evident here, while these anti-Israel external organizations reap the benefits of U.S. aid and operate to erode Israel’s stability.
Republican Senators Marsha Blackburn from Tennessee and Joni Ernst from Iowa have voiced their disappointment with the puzzling USAID funding, sharing concerns that the State Department and USAID might be jeopardizing both national security and the trust of their ally, Israel. It’s mind-boggling how Biden’s administration is essentially undermining an ally by stubbornly hiding potentially incriminating information.
The Center to Advance Security in America, tenaciously dedicated to enlightening the public about their government’s steps to safeguard them in a perilous world, filed a Freedom of Information Act request in late July. This action was prompted by a report that suggested notable funding was given to organizations potentially in conflict with official U.S. foreign policy. To ensure transparency and reinforce international diplomatic commitments, the transactions needed to be laid bare.
The Center precisely asked for communications amongst USAID officials about the alleged anti-Israel NGOs from October 7, 2023 onwards. This date was when a fatal assault on Israel was launched by Hamas terrorists, resulting in the tragic demise of 1,200 individuals. The Center also sought the calendar records of the officials within USAID to get a clearer idea of the proceedings.
Months after their initial request, the Center has yet to obtain the documents it implored USAID to provide. The attitude of the Biden administration and USAID towards this critical request, their blatant disregard for transparency, and the lack of updates about the process paints a disturbing picture of governance.
USAID has fallen short in meeting its statutory obligations to provide the Center the requested records. The justifications for withholding any information, if valid, remain undisclosed. Without even an inkling of information on the scope of documents intended to be produced, the Center has been left in the dark, in violation of the minimum cooperation expected from a public administration.
Stating that ‘USAID has not met its statutory obligations to provide the requested records, and it appears USAID does not intend to meet them absent litigation,’ the Center decided it had virtually exhausted all administrative remedies constructively, and is now compelled to seek immediate judicial review to compel action from the inert agency.
Hence, a lawsuit has been filed against the USAID and, by extension, Biden’s administration for failing to respond adequately to the request. The court of choice is the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. USAID’s silence is deafening, with no word from them as of yet on the lawsuit and the surrounding accusations.
In conclusion, the ongoing evasion by Biden’s administration and USAID paints a dreary picture of U.S. governance. The lack of transparency, the ostensible undermining of an ally, and the potential misappropriation of taxpayers’ money, further breeds mistrust amongst the concerned public. Succinctly stated, the state of transparency under the Biden administration remains, at best, questionable.