Democracy Forward represents Ward Brehm, President of the United States African Development Foundation (USADF), in a legal challenge to halt DOGE’s efforts to dismantle the agency and remove Brehm from his position.

Brehm filed this lawsuit and sought emergency relief after DOGE employees physically tried to access USADF with the intent to shut the agency down. The lawsuit outlines DOGE’s unlawful actions, including threats to staff, illegal entry to USADF offices, and attempts to seize control of the agency’s systems. This attempt to access USADF and remove President Ward Brehm by unlawfully appointing Pete Marocco to serve as the Foundation’s sole board member and CEO violated the Appointments Clause and the African Development Foundation Act. 

USADF was established by the passage of the African Development Foundation Act in 1980 as an independent federal agency created to support communities in building local economies, reducing poverty, and promoting peace. Allowing DOGE to continue with its dismantling of the agency would mean authorizing a continuous overreach of executive power. DOGE has no legal authority to appoint board members, remove USADF’s president, or reprogram congressionally appropriated funds.

The plaintiff is seeking court intervention to permanently block DOGE’s attempts to dismantle USADF and order the restoration of the agency through the reversal of unlawful actions that have already been taken.

Latest Developments:

• March 6, 2025 — U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued an order temporarily blocking DOGE’s attempt to access the USADF and remove its President, Ward Brehm.
  
  
• March 12, 2025 — The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia denied the motion for a temporary restraining order due to what it found to be a lack of irreparable harm; however, the court expressed concern that the administration’s actions violate the Constitution and ordered further briefing on the matter. 
• March 22, 2025 —  Plaintiffs filed a motion for summary judgment and a preliminary injunction to halt efforts to dismantle the USADF and unlawfully remove President Ward Brehm from his position while the case develops

Case: Ward Brehm v. Pete Marocco