USAID taps Musk's DOGE staffer for senior role as agency overhaul continues

Elon Musk's DOGE staffer takes senior post at USAID as Pete Marocco returns to the State Department amid a major leadership shake-up in US foreign aid policy

A key figure from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is set to take on a senior leadership role at the US Agency for International Development (USAID), while Pete Marocco, a central player in reshaping the agency, will return to the US State Department, according to an internal email reviewed by Reuters.

 

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce confirmed during a press briefing on Wednesday that Marocco, who previously served as deputy administrator-designate at USAID, will now resume his duties at the State Department as Director of Foreign Assistance.

 

“It’s been my honour to assist Secretary Rubio in his leadership of USAID through some difficult stages to pivot this enterprise away from its abuses of the past. Now that USAID is under control, accountable and stable, I am going to return to my post as the Director of Foreign Assistance to bring value back to the American people,” Marocco wrote in the email.

 

 

President Donald Trump had ordered a 90-day halt to foreign aid back in January to evaluate if programs align with his ‘America First’ foreign policy. This move brought USAID, a long-time administrator of global development and aid, under intense scrutiny. Trump and his supporters argue that the agency spent billions on overseas projects with little benefit to US interests, while critics, including aid workers, warn that the cuts have ended life-saving support in nations like Sudan and South Africa.

 

In Tuesday’s email, Marocco also detailed the leadership changes within USAID. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who took over as acting administrator of USAID in February, will delegate authority to Jeremy Lewin to serve as Deputy Administrator for Policy and Programs and Chief Operating Officer.

 

Lewin, a known DOGE official, was identified earlier this month by the COO of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and another witness during court testimony in an ongoing lawsuit. The case, filed by a union and others, challenges the Trump administration’s moves to dismantle the CFPB.

 

In the reshuffled USAID leadership, Ken Jackson will take on the role of Deputy Administrator for Management and Resources and act as Chief Financial Officer. Joel Borkert is named Chief of Staff, while Marcus Thornton becomes Deputy Chief of Staff, according to Marocco.

 

Jackson’s role extends beyond USAID. According to a legal filing on Tuesday, he was listed as “Assistant to the Administrator for Management and Resources for USAID”. On March 14, President Trump dismissed the president of the US Institute for Peace and installed Jackson as acting president.

 

In a dramatic turn, Jackson, accompanied by DOGE officials and armed police, reportedly entered the Institute on Monday, forcibly removing the previous president, staff, and legal representatives, according to the same filing. 

 

[With agency inputs]