Four Plead Guilty In Massive Bribery Scheme At Agency Democrats Fought To Protect From Doge

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), an agency fundamentally dismantled by DOGE amid complaints from Democrats that cutting discarded would harm impoverished countries, is astatine nan halfway of a monolithic bribery scandal.

A national contracting serviceman and 3 businessmen person pleaded blameworthy successful a strategy involving bribes for illustration cash, NBA tickets, and a state nine wedding successful a ungraded nan Department of Justice (DOJ) said was portion of a $550 cardinal scam, Fox News Chief Washington Correspondent Mike Emanuel reported Friday. 

Roderick Watson, 57, worked arsenic a USAID contracting officer, according to a DOJ property release, and pleaded blameworthy to "bribery of a nationalist official."

According to nan DOJ, Watson sold his power starting successful 2013, pinch contractors Walter Barnes, proprietor of Vistant, and Darryl Britt, proprietor of Apprio, funneling payoffs done subcontractor Paul Young to hide their tracks. 

RISCH URGES 'TOP TO BOTTOM' USAID SPENDING REVIEW AFTER WASTE, FRAUD EXPOSED

Demonstrators and lawmakers rally against President Donald Trump and his state Elon Musk arsenic they disrupt nan national government, including dismantling nan U.S. Agency for International Development, successful Washington connected Feb. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

"During nan scheme, Britt and Barnes paid bribes to Watson that were often concealed by passing them done Young, who was nan president of different subcontractor to Apprio and Vistant," nan property merchandise explained. 

"Britt and Barnes besides regularly funneled bribes to Watson, including cash, laptops, thousands of dollars successful tickets to a suite astatine an NBA game, a state nine wedding, downpayments connected 2 residential mortgages, cellular phones, and jobs for relatives. The bribes were besides often concealed done physics slope transfers falsely listing Watson connected payroll, incorporated ammunition companies, and mendacious invoices. Watson is alleged to person received bribes weighted astatine much than astir $1 cardinal arsenic portion of nan scheme."

THOUSANDS OF USAID TERMINATIONS TO TAKE EFFECT BY SEPTEMBER IN AGENCY'S FINAL LEG OF 'DRAWDOWN'

Former labor of USAID time off nan office building successful Washington connected Feb. 27, 2025.  (Leigh Green for Fox News Digital)

Vistant was awarded successful November 2023, arsenic portion of a associated venture, a statement worthy up to $800 cardinal pinch 1 of nan focuses of that statement being to reside "a assortment of issues affecting nan guidelines causes of irregular migration from Central America to nan United States," an rumor that President Joe Biden tasked then-Vice President Kamala Harris pinch during his presidency.

Several days later, that statement was canceled aft USAID published a announcement that said Vistant was excluded from authorities contracting owed to "evidence of behaviour of a deficiency of business honesty aliases integrity."

The associated task past successfully sued nan authorities complete being put connected that removal database and was re-awarded nan statement and fixed a $10,000 costs successful August 2024. 

"Corruption successful authorities programs will not beryllium tolerated. Watson abused his position of spot for individual summation while national contractors engaged successful a pay-to-play scheme," Acting Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Sean Bottary of nan USAID Office of Inspector General (USAID-OIG) said successful nan property release.

"USAID-OIG is firmly committed to rooting retired fraud and corruption wrong U.S. overseas assistance programs. Today’s announcement underscores our unwavering attraction connected exposing criminal activity, including bribery schemes by those entrusted to faithfully grant authorities contracts. We admit our longstanding business pinch nan Department of Justice successful holding accountable those who defraud American taxpayers."    

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Protesters clasp placards arsenic Pete Marocco, lawman administrator-designate astatine nan USAID, attends a gathering pinch members of Congress to talk overseas assistance connected Capitol Hill successful Washington connected Mar. 5, 2025. (Kent Nishimura/REUTERS)

USAID was 1 of nan nationalist faces and astir drastic examples of DOGE's efforts to trim waste, fraud, and maltreatment successful government, and nan effort resulted successful nan agency's programs being cut by 83%, while nan programs deemed captious were moved to nan State Department. 

USAID's website went dark, and labor were barred from entering its office connected Feb. 3, while others had their activity put connected hold. The Trump management past announced that each USAID direct-hire unit would beryllium put connected administrative leave.

The agency came nether fire for galore backing choices, including allocating $1.5 cardinal for a programme that sought to "advance diversity, equity and inclusion successful Serbia’s workplaces and business communities" and a $70,000 programme for a "DEI musical" successful Ireland.

During DOGE's sweep, it was revealed that U.S. dollars were ending up successful nan hands of terror-linked groups, specified arsenic costs reportedly providing "full funding" for al-Qaeda violent Anwar al-Awlaki to be assemblage successful Colorado, Fox News Digital previously reported. 

As DOGE was dismantling USAID, galore Democrats and media outlets blasted nan cuts, claiming they would harm impoverished recipients of assistance crossed nan globe and some, including U2 frontman Bono, who said nan cuts would lead to complete 300,000 deaths. 

Several House and Senate Democrats protested extracurricular of USAID's office successful early February, expressing outrage complete nan layoffs and cuts, The Hill reported.

"Anybody who cares astir bully and effective authorities should beryllium concerned astir nan waste, fraud, and maltreatment successful authorities agencies, including USAID," Matthew R. Galeotti, caput of nan Justice Department’s Criminal Division, said successful nan DOJ's property release. 

Fox News Digital's Diana Stancy and Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.