this post was submitted on 06 Feb 2026
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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 122 points 6 days ago (3 children)

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.

[–] green_red_black@slrpnk.net 55 points 6 days ago (7 children)

Unfortunately it’s the US justice system and Elon has the largest Wealth Value in the world

[–] hydroptic@sopuli.xyz 25 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (2 children)

Unfortunately it’s the US justice system

But it's the best justice system money can buy?!

[–] SmackemWittadic@lemmy.world 7 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (3 children)

It's the best justice system money can buy out*

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[–] halcyoncmdr@piefed.social 9 points 6 days ago (8 children)

Yeah but that value is based almost exclusively on stock in volatile companies like Tesla. Kill Tesla and that disappears basically overnight.

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[–] huquad@lemmy.ml 6 points 6 days ago

Best we can realistically hope for is luigi

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[–] Formfiller@lemmy.world 21 points 5 days ago (10 children)
[–] SpiceDealer@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

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.

[–] jake_jake_jake_@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago

all his companies are slowly becoming one - spacex is taking over xa"i" which already owns shitter

maybe starlink is somewhere in the middle or just separately owned by spacex

means you can't get one without all, but there is a bright side of shitter and the elon regurgitater can just be shut off once it's taken over

[–] Gammelfisch@lemmy.world 5 points 5 days ago (1 children)

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

[–] Formfiller@lemmy.world 5 points 5 days ago

France is definitely going to issue an arrest warrant before we do

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[–] DarkFuture@lemmy.world 28 points 5 days ago (1 children)

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.

[–] LoafedBurrito@lemmy.world 28 points 5 days ago (2 children)

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 9 points 5 days ago

And America just sat by and watched.

We truly are a weak nation.

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[–] JackbyDev@programming.dev 41 points 6 days ago (4 children)

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

[–] freddydunningkruger@lemmy.world 24 points 6 days ago (14 children)

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 gesrs of justice grind slowly, so here we are in 2026 with depositions finally starting.

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[–] bitjunkie@lemmy.world 12 points 6 days ago (3 children)

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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[–] RedGreenBlue@lemmy.zip 14 points 6 days ago

Noone said no, is my guess.

[–] Leather@lemmy.world 11 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

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

[–] Endymion_Mallorn@kbin.melroy.org 37 points 6 days ago (4 children)

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

[–] NateNate60@lemmy.world 13 points 6 days ago (1 children)

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

[–] athatet@lemmy.zip 23 points 6 days ago

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

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[–] TigerAce@lemmy.dbzer0.com 28 points 6 days ago (2 children)

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

[–] Fedizen@lemmy.world 6 points 5 days ago (1 children)

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

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[–] NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world 6 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

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 11 points 6 days ago (2 children)

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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[–] ohulancutash@feddit.uk 36 points 6 days ago

I thought that said deported.

My evening is ruined.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 12 points 5 days ago

Christ, can they seize all of his assets?

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

[–] new_world_odor@lemmy.world 6 points 4 days ago (2 children)

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.

[–] masterofn001@lemmy.ca 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I thought it said dropped... Like a food shipment out of a plane.

Still hopeful.

[–] P00ptart@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago

I thought it said doped... Like a ridiculous amount of acid.

Still hopeful.

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[–] northernlights@lemmy.today 23 points 6 days ago (1 children)

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

[–] halcyoncmdr@piefed.social 10 points 6 days ago (6 children)

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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[–] GreenBeanMachine@lemmy.world 15 points 6 days ago (2 children)
[–] IMALlama@lemmy.world 18 points 6 days ago

At worst? Ever so slightly stoke voter outrage at this whole fiasco and increase awareness of the oligarch class.

At best? Fines, jail time, reinstatement of disbanded agencies.

Nothing in the at beat camp is likely to happen, but making a spectacle out of it and potentially getting someone to admit something they don't mean to will likely help nudge some voters. Even if they're mostly left leaning getting more people to turn out will help.

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 6 points 5 days ago

It should be remembered that when AOC made her first appearance with Congress, it was to question Michael Cohen during his testimony, before going to prison. She rapidfired questions at him, and he rapidfired answers right back, and that testimony formed the foundation of Leticia James' successful prosecution of Trump and verdict of guilty on 34 felonies. So real consequences can come from these Congressional dog & pony shows.

Furthermore, they will be under oath, so if they say anything that contradicts anything else, it's perjury. And this testimony will be the official record, so if they ever make a statement that contradicts it, it's perjury again.

Also, they're going to try to avoid testifying, so we may get the opportunity to imprison them when they refuse to honor the subpoenas.

And when they do testify, we get to use their lies against them in campaigns, etc., and they get to put their virtuosic stupidity, ignorance, and evil on display for the entire world.

[–] Professorozone@lemmy.world 21 points 6 days ago (1 children)

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

[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 16 points 6 days ago

He might even get a finger wagged at him!

[–] frog_brawler@lemmy.world 16 points 6 days ago (2 children)
[–] GhostPain@lemmy.world 13 points 6 days ago

Dems will hound him doggedly for donations next election cycle.

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[–] einlander@lemmy.world 14 points 6 days ago (1 children)

DEPORT THIS AFRICAN IMMIGRANT!

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[–] MortUS@lemmy.world 5 points 5 days ago

(X) to Doubt

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