The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has announced the cancellation of approximately $4 million in contracts through the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). The announcement was made via a post on X on March 31.
According to DOGE's post, USIP receives $55 million in congressional taxpayer funding annually. In previous years, management redirected excess funds into private endowments. Over the past decade, USIP transferred $13 million into its private endowment, which operates without congressional oversight and is primarily used for private events and travel.
DOGE's post indicates that the recently canceled USIP contracts are valued at approximately $4 million. Among these contracts, Mohammad Qasem Halimi, a former Taliban member and Afghanistan's ex-Chief of Protocol, received $132,000. An amount of $2,232,500 was allocated to an outside accountant who attempted to delete over one terabyte of accounting data; this data was later recovered after new leadership took over. The Al Tadhamun Iraqi League for Youth received $1,307,061, and $675,000 was allocated to aviation services.
United States Institute of Peace
| https://x.com/DOGE/status/1906848257705443758
DOGE is a federal agency focused on optimizing government spending by reducing waste and ensuring accountability in contract management. By reviewing expenditures and canceling non-essential contracts, DOGE aims to improve fiscal responsibility and enhance the effectiveness of public resource allocation.
