Judicial Watch: Justice Department Confirms Ongoing Criminal Investigation of Africa Aid Agency as Whistleblower Faces Retaliation Lawsuit

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that the U.S. Department of Justice confirmed in a federal court hearing that its investigation of senior officials at the U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF) remains ongoing as one of Judicial Watch’s whistleblower clients faces a retaliatory lawsuit brought by the agency’s former president. Judicial Watch’s whistleblower clients have […]

The post Judicial Watch: Justice Department Confirms Ongoing Criminal Investigation of Africa Aid Agency as Whistleblower Faces Retaliation Lawsuit appeared first on Judicial Watch.

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(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that the U.S. Department of Justice confirmed in a federal court hearing that its investigation of senior officials at the U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF) remains ongoing as one of Judicial Watch’s whistleblower clients faces a retaliatory lawsuit brought by the agency’s former president.

Judicial Watch’s whistleblower clients have spent years courageously reporting corruption and misconduct at USADF, sharing information with the USAID Office of Inspector General (OIG), members of Congress, and the Department of Justice. That information has since been borne out by federal criminal charges and damning reports from the Office of Inspector General for U.S. Agency for International Development and the Government Accountability Office.

Judicial Watch has been advancing its whistleblower clients’ work through multiple vehicles, including a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit seeking USADF records related to those allegations. (Judicial Watch Inc. v. U.S. African Development Foundation (No. 1:25-cv-02623)). In an earlier hearing in that case, the DOJ stated publicly for the first time that it and the USAID OIG were investigating possible crimes committed by senior USADF officials. Shortly thereafter, the Justice Department charged Mathieu Zahui, the USADF’s chief financial officer, based in significant part on information from Judicial Watch’s whistleblower clients. Zahui subsequently pleaded guilty to accepting illegal gratuities and making false statements to federal investigators.

During a status conference held on March 30, 2026 before Judge Reggie B. Walton of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the Justice Department confirmed that its investigation of USADF has not ended.

Judicial Watch’s whistleblower clients continue to work with members of Congress to demand accountability. Senator Mike Lee recently led a coalition of senators urging the Department of Justice to expand its investigation and pursue additional prosecutions arising from USADF’s corruption. Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna has also taken up the cause, writing to Attorney General Todd Blanche to request a broader review of fraud, corruption, and whistleblower retaliation involving senior USADF leadership. Congresswoman Luna specifically highlighted the firsthand account of Judicial Watch’s client Jasmine Battle, noting that after Ms. Battle raised concerns about misconduct, she was terminated — and now faces civil litigation by former USADF President Travis Adkins in an effort to silence her.

That litigation is itself a form of retaliation. As Judicial Watch stated in its motion to dismiss filed on Battle’s behalf:

“Travis Adkins presided over one of the most corrupt federal agencies in recent memory. During his tenure as president of the United States African Development Foundation, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee named him personally as potentially ‘complicit in, corrupt and potentially unlawful practices’ and placed a congressional hold on the agency’s funding. His own chief financial officer pleaded guilty to public corruption for acts that ran through every year of [Adkins’] leadership.

Jasmine Battle, a seasoned and well-respected administrative professional, whose career included working with former cabinet-level officials, witnessed this dysfunction firsthand, served as [Adkins’] assistant for seven months in 2022. What she saw troubled her, and she did what conscientious public servants are supposed to do. She reported it to Plaintiff, to the EEOC, and to oversight bodies like Congress. [Adkins] now under a microscope for what occurred during his tenure as president, is seeking to silence her. And now Battle finds herself in a seemingly partisan crossfire because she had the courage to be a whistleblower.”

“Jasmine Battle did exactly what a public servant should do — she reported corruption and refused to stay silent,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “Judicial Watch is proud to stand with her and our other whistleblower clients as we continue to pursue full accountability at the US African Development Foundation.”

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