A 28-Year-Old DOGE Operative Gutted USAID. HR Had No Record of Him Working There

On March 18, 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio handed control of the US Agency for International Development to Jeremy Lewin, a 28-year-old Harvard Law graduate and former investment banker affiliated with Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. Despite criticism over his lack of experience, Lewin began wielding sweeping powers, canceling aid programs and terminating thousands of employees.

Internal USAID emails reveal that during the three-week period from March 18 to April 4, Lewin failed to sign the paperwork required by law to begin work at the agency. His appointment was so mysterious that USAID security couldn't issue him an ID card due to no employment records.

Unusual Appointment Process

Lewin claims he began serving at USAID as a senior adviser on January 28, 2025. On March 18, Rubio delegated the authority of deputy administrator and chief operating officer to him, signing a document appointing him as an "officer of the United States." However, HR documents show he hadn't completed required onboarding tasks, including the OF-306 background screening form.

A top USAID HR executive described Lewin as "the equivalent of an administrative ghost." His appointment used 22 U.S.C. § 2385(b), an obscure provision traditionally reserved for emergency-response staff in disaster zones, which one former official called "unconventional." Lewin provided WIRED with two documents dated March 18, including an appointment waiver and affidavit, but questions remain about their validity.

Legal Questions

Legal experts question whether Lewin had proper authority to make decisions. David A. Super, a Georgetown law professor, states: "You can't just walk in the door of a federal agency and become an employee." Federal regulations require that cabinet secretaries can only assign authority of Senate-confirmed positions to agency employees or officers under supervision.

Consequences and Context

During his tenure, Lewin issued sweeping orders, including locking all USAID staff worldwide out of communication systems and terminating 57 top officials. His actions came amid lawsuits by USAID employees challenging DOGE's authority. On March 28, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals paused an injunction against DOGE, accepting Lewin's claim that he reported directly to Rubio.

Lewin, now director of policy planning at the State Department, maintains he was "both detailed and dual appointed" with proper authority. However, his unusual appointment process highlights broader concerns about how DOGE affiliates stepped into top roles at federal agencies, with dozens of active lawsuits targeting these workforce reductions and agency dismantlings.