Rep. Van Epps and Senator Lee Lead Coalition Urging USADF Fraud Probe

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Rep. Van Epps (TN-07) and Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) led a coalition of congressional colleagues in the House and Senate urging the U.S. Department of Justice to continue its probe of the United States African Development Foundation (USADF) in light of uncovered fraud and corruption. Joining the lawmakers in this effort are Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Tim Sheehy (R-MT).

Rep. Van Epps stated, “I am pleased to lead this letter alongside Senator Lee. The fraud uncovered so far at USADF appears to be only the tip of the iceberg. Evidence suggests that misconduct within the agency was so widespread that it became embedded in the institution itself. The  Department of Justice must not stop with a single guilty plea—more must be done. We should not tolerate any agency that demonstrates such a clear and sustained pattern of corruption. American taxpayers deserve better.

The fraud at USADF was so blatant that employees reportedly locked the doors when Trump administration officials arrived to conduct an audit under DOGE. That behavior is not only alarming—it is deeply embarrassing. Our nation was founded on the principle of law and order, yet this agency was able to operate outside the bounds of the law for years without meaningful consequences.

I am grateful that President Trump is taking steps to crack down on agencies like USADF to prevent future fraud. At the same time, we must ensure that those who took such flagrant advantage of taxpayers are fully held accountable.”

Read excerpts from the letter:

“Thank you for the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) work to expose the egregious corruption at the United States African Development Foundation (USADF). … We write to support further investigation into USADF. While the Zahui case is an important win, the institutional corruption runs far deeper than one official. Other senior officials, contractors, and grantees have been exposed by credible whistleblower testimonies and evidence, and it is unclear how much of the hundreds of millions of dollars managed by USADF fed the scheme.” 

“Zahui’s plea only scratches the surface. …We urge you to leave no stone unturned as you uncover more waste, fraud, and abuse. We cannot make peace with such reckless and deep corruption,” 

“On behalf of the American people, we thank you for your tireless efforts to bring forth justice, and we stand ready to support the DOJ’s investigation in any way we can.”

Access the full text of the letter here.

See the timeline of uncovered fraud at USADF here.