U.S. suspends International Relief and Development for 'misconduct'

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States said on Monday it had suspended International Relief and Development, a non-profit aid contractor which won major U.S. contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan, after finding "serious misconduct" involving funding. "The agency's review revealed serious misconduct in IRD's performance, management, internal controls and present responsibility," the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the United States' premier aid agency, said in a statement. USAID contracts with IRD in Afghanistan amounted to over $1 billion and roughly $85.57 million in Iraq between 2006 and 2014, according to statistics provided by USAID. The agency also won U.S. contracts for work in other countries. IRD is expected to release a statement later. USAID said its decision was based on a zero-tolerance policy for mismanagement of American taxpayer funds. Some 230 contractors have been suspended since the inception of a special investigating unit in 2011, USAID said. (Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Sandra Maler)