In brief
The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government, challenging the withholding of $239 million in funds intended for its programs promoting democracy globally. The nonprofit organization, which has historically received bipartisan endorsement, stated that it took this action due to a halt in funding following an executive order signed by President Trump, which froze all foreign aid. This funding freeze has led to significant workforce reductions, with approximately 75% of NED’s staff placed on unpaid leave, and around 1,200 grantees left without financial support for their projects since the end of January.
In the lawsuit, submitted to the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia, NED's board argues that these appropriations do not qualify as foreign aid and should not fall under the jurisdiction of the State Department or any executive agencies responsible for raising funds. Board members emphasized the illegal nature of the funding suppression. Peter Roskam, a former Republican congressman and current NED chairman, stated that the organization had no alternative but to seek legal recourse after failing to prompt the State Department to resume the funding flow. Roskam expressed hope that the funding issues may be a result of oversight rather than an intentional block, though he acknowledged the severity of the situation.
