In brief
The lawsuit highlights concerns over the legality of funding decisions affecting nonprofit efforts to promote democracy worldwide.
The National Endowment for Democracy (NED), a nonprofit established to support democracy globally, is taking legal action against the U.S. government for holding back $239 million in congressional funding. This decision, made by the Trump administration, has left the organization in a tough spot, forcing it to place about 75% of its staff on unpaid leave and halting financial support to about 1,200 grant recipients. The board, which includes both Democratic and Republican leaders, argues in their lawsuit that the frozen funds do not qualify as foreign aid and should not be under the control of the State Department. Peter Roskam, the chair of the NED, expressed hope that the funding issue might just be an oversight but is prepared to challenge the legality of the situation.
