Mateo Dunne, general counsel at the African Development Foundation, alleges he was framed and removed after investigating racial discrimination and lawbreaking at the federal agency. Employees report a pattern of refusing to hire white people under CEOs Travis Adkins and C.D. Glin. The agency resisted audits and faced layoffs following government intervention.
The African Development Foundation, a small federal agency supporting African development similar to USAID, has been accused of systemic racial bias and retaliation against whistleblowers. Created by Congress in 1980, it is overseen by a presidentially appointed board that selects the CEO. From 2016 to 2021, CEO C.D. Glin, a former Peace Corps diversity officer and Obama appointee, prioritized hiring Black employees, according to anonymous staff accounts. This continued under his successor, Travis Adkins, a Biden appointee who led from 2021 until February 2025.
Adkins' former Black assistant provided a sworn affidavit stating that Adkins expressed desire for an all-Black team, including the general counsel, and explicitly refused to hire white people or veterans. When challenged on discrimination, Adkins reportedly replied, “I’m the president and CEO, I can do what I want.” He also concealed operations from the board, referring to members as “them white motherf—ers” who did not need to know details, the assistant said. A junior white employee who complained to the board was placed on a short-term contract and let go.
In 2021, the agency settled a lawsuit with a white senior executive laid off without severance, amid claims of racial targeting. When Mateo Dunne, a white former Defense Department executive, became general counsel in late 2021, he launched probes into conflicts of interest, fraud, and a toxic environment. Acting CEO Elisabeth Feleke ordered him to halt the investigation and alter findings, but Dunne sent a preliminary report to the board.
Upon starting in January 2022, Adkins immediately placed Dunne on administrative leave, cutting off his access and barring staff contact, as captured in video. A 75-page internal dossier labeled Dunne “grimy,” “sinister,” and a “danger” for pursuing inquiries into luxury spending and ethics violations. Officials distorted a shared quote about a deceased legislator into a death threat and attributed a fake GlassDoor post saying “die” to Dunne, prompting investigations by four law enforcement agencies. Dunne denied involvement, noting he would not use his title anonymously.
Left on indefinite paid leave beyond the legal 90-day limit, Dunne resigned in July 2022. He filed whistleblower and discrimination complaints; the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission dismissed his case in August 2024, but he is appealing. Adkins' deposition contradicted documents, including claims of pre-planned removal of Dunne to protect allies. A representative for Adkins disputes the allegations as “self-serving” and “discredited.”
The agency drew scrutiny by locking doors against Department of Government Efficiency auditors and suing Elon Musk over a potential takeover; all staff were later laid off after U.S. Marshals granted access. Dunne believes the agency's fate was justified due to unaddressed misconduct, calling it “an indictment of the entire system.”
