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submitted 3 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

Destruction of world's largest humanitarian programme was done without formal authority or official oversight, former USAID employees claim

Elon Musk, leader of the Trump administration's now-disbanded Department of Government Efficiency, must sit for depositions along with senior State Department officials over their role in dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.

Pointing to findings that Musk had made the decision to break up USAID – one of the world's largest humanitarian programs – despite lacking formal authority or official approval – District Judge Theodore Chuang wrote that there was "no alternative" than for Musk and other officials to provide testimony regarding their decision-making process.

The ruling represents a win for a group of anonymous former USAID employees who are suing Musk, DOGE and State Department officials over the closure.

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[-] lemmylump@lemmy.world 165 points 3 months ago

If he ever faces justice for the hundreds of thousands needlessly dead because of him I hope it a fine based on net worth like the Nordic countries do, and then death.

[-] favoredponcho@lemmy.zip 5 points 3 months ago
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[-] JackbyDev@programming.dev 61 points 3 months ago

This is so annoying. If he wasn't allowed to or able to or supposed to, how did it happen???

[-] freddydunningkruger@lemmy.world 28 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

USAID was established in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy via executive order under the authority of the Congress-passed Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. While authorized by this legislation, it was later formally codified as an independent agency by Congress through the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998.

Sadly, a LOT of people stayed home and did not vote for Kamala Harris, or they voted 3rd party, and Trump was elected to run the Executive branch. The Trump administration decided the executive branch could choose which laws they executed. The opposition was immediate and lawsuits were filed, but the gears of justice grind slowly, so here we are in 2026 with depositions finally starting.

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[-] RedGreenBlue@lemmy.zip 21 points 3 months ago

Noone said no, is my guess.

[-] bitjunkie@lemmy.world 17 points 3 months ago

The constitution was written by people who assumed the positions they were creating would always be occupied by good-faith actors. They weren't.

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[-] Leather@lemmy.world 13 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Most pedos are used to being the only adult in the room. They make up whatever rules they want.

[-] ohulancutash@feddit.uk 54 points 3 months ago

I thought that said deported.

My evening is ruined.

[-] Endymion_Mallorn@kbin.melroy.org 54 points 3 months ago

We need less "depose" and more "dispose".

[-] NateNate60@lemmy.world 16 points 3 months ago

I remember when Musk was the cool electric car guy and not the chief accomplice to the dismantling of Western democracy.

[-] athatet@lemmy.zip 27 points 3 months ago

He was never really that either tho. He’s always been a douche.

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[-] DarkFuture@lemmy.world 42 points 3 months ago

Spoiler Alert: It was a grift at the expense of the American tax payer. Like literally everything the Republican party does.

Elect criminals, get robbed.

[-] TigerAce@lemmy.dbzer0.com 34 points 3 months ago

Maybe trial him for mass murder as this costed an estimate of 600.000 to 1.200.000 people their lives.

[-] NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world 9 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

I could be wrong here, but are you sure that's not a projected outcome due to the fallout vs present has happened. I don't doubt it will, just not sure it has.

[-] TigerAce@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 3 months ago

The numbers I remembered were somewhat wrong. But here's an article about it.

The projections are it could cost 9.4 million people there lives by 2030 according to this article and 22 million by 2030 according to this article.

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[-] Fedizen@lemmy.world 6 points 3 months ago

Elon musk: he's like henry kissinger levels of evil.

[-] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 5 points 3 months ago

So he's going to win the Nobel?

[-] LoafedBurrito@lemmy.world 34 points 3 months ago

Ten's of thousands of people have already died at the hands of Elon Musk destroying USAID. It was all part of their plan. Then Elon got hundreds of billions in welfare from trump for helping do the dirty work.

[-] DarkFuture@lemmy.world 13 points 3 months ago

And America just sat by and watched.

We truly are a weak nation.

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[-] Formfiller@lemmy.world 29 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Freeze his assets. He needs to fund the rebuilding of our national security infrastructure

[-] SpiceDealer@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Not just freeze them but nationalize them along with all his companies (except for Twatter and Grok, put them out of their misery) and, as @Gammelfisch@lemmy.world said, throw him into prison. But before we do that, we have to "get rid" of Der Orange Führer.

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[-] Gammelfisch@lemmy.world 6 points 3 months ago

...and toss his neo-Nazi ass into prison.

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[-] northernlights@lemmy.today 28 points 3 months ago

Don't you get deported when you're not born in the US and are convicted of a felony? Just saying.

[-] halcyoncmdr@piefed.social 12 points 3 months ago

He's a naturalized US citizen. But citizenship can be stripped, especially if someone has dual citizenship. And Musk still has Canadian citizenship...

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[-] Professorozone@lemmy.world 27 points 3 months ago

Oh no. A deposition. Questions will be asked. He's in big trouble.

[-] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 19 points 3 months ago

He might even get a finger wagged at him!

[-] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 19 points 3 months ago

Christ, can they seize all of his assets?

Also, will this be recorded and shown to the public?

[-] frog_brawler@lemmy.world 19 points 3 months ago
[-] GhostPain@lemmy.world 15 points 3 months ago

Dems will hound him doggedly for donations next election cycle.

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[-] einlander@lemmy.world 17 points 3 months ago

DEPORT THIS AFRICAN IMMIGRANT!

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[-] new_world_odor@lemmy.world 10 points 3 months ago

For just a moment I thought it said 'deported'. For just that moment, I felt elation like I haven't known in years.

I'm still hopeful.

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this post was submitted on 06 Feb 2026
854 points (99.2% liked)

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