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EXCLUSIVE: Two US Fence Council members are suing the other six members and claiming that Chairman Damien Lehfeldt made false declarations to Congress at a May 7th Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) Sub -Committee Hearing on Translock Athletes.
The trial that seeks to have Lehfeldt removed as the US fence chair was filed on behalf of the United States hencing by the two applicant members.
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Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) (L) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) (R) Talk about an alleged screenshot from Instagram of US Fence Regirling Damien Lehfeldt during the hearing of “unreasonable play: keeping men out of women’s sports” by the government department (days) Sub Committee at the US’s chapter. 2025, in Washington, DC (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
The plaintiffs, Andrey Geva and Abdel Salem, each have long ties to the sport and the organization.
Geva is a former US national coach who led the American woman’s Épée team at the 2016 Olympics in 2016 and 2020 before he was elected to the board in 2024. Abdel competed for Egypt in individual and the team was named in the US Olympic Bus from 1984, and former head coach of the US Air Force Academy, and in 1996 was named US Olympic Commite for the year.
Now they are taking the organization to court after claiming that Leftheldt was wrongly announced Geva’s resignation from the board of directors at a meeting on June 7 and over several accusations involving the Doge hearing on May 7.
The lawsuit claims that Lehfeldt made “false and misleading claims” during the hearing, which now risks the organization being declassified as a national governing body (NGB).
“Defendant Lehfeldt’s non-corporative behavior in bad faith and untrue and misleading statements at the congressional hearing on May 7, [2025] has prompted Congress to consider Decertifying USFA as an NGB, thus potentially risking Team US qualification in the Los Angeles Olympic struggle in 2028, “the trial states.
“His lies have alienated thousands of members in the fence community who have delivered more than 90% of USPA’s revenue.”
Geva claims he also tried to speak during the hearing, but claims he was facing “threats” for the purpose of “deterring” him from it. Geva ultimately presented a letter to Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on May 2, expressing “Opinion on Biological Men’s benefit over women in fences.” Cruz’s office had recently opened a study of the United States fence over its transient eligibility policy after the Turner incident.
The letter was then referred to during the Doge hearing of the subcommittee’s chairman Marjorie Taylor-Greene.
“‘Transgender Women’s fences have significant competitions in women’s competitions,’ he writes,” Greene said during the hearing, reading from Geva’s letter.
The lawsuit claims that Geva was then messed up by a colleague board member who accused him of his honest personal opinion, and then called on two board members for a “special board meeting intended to remove or otherwise discipline the plaintiff.”
Who is Stephanie Turner? Women’s fences that kneeled to protest against opponent and ignited global consciousness
US Fence has recognized the trial in a statement to Pakinomist Digital.
“The United States fence proudly serves its members – athletes, coaches, judges and clubs – across our community with absolute transparency and integrity. This derived trial mistakenly represents our organization, and we will strongly defend the organization in court; any attempt to separate them will be treated appropriately,” the statement reads.
“Because litigation is in progress, we cannot discuss details. Our focus remains unshakable: to promote fence nationwide, support each member’s success and maintain the values of the Olympic and Paralympic Movement.”
The organization has been under enormous national control following the release of the recordings of Turner’s protest on April 2nd.
LefHeldt’s testimony during the consultation on May 7 intensified the criticism only.
Lehfeldt, who was competed and did not come voluntarily, made the increased controversy prior to the hearing with a number of Instagram stories that were later blown up and used against him on the committee floor. In a post that became viral before the hearing, he answered a question that asked if he was “okay” of putting female fences in a disadvantage with a simple, brash answer: “Yes.”
Then, during the consultation, Lehfeldt admitted several times that he regretted answering that way and admitted that the question required a “more-nuanced” answer.
At one point during the hearing, LefHeldt admitted to falsified an e -mail from a fictional fencing mother “Dorothy” who disagreed with him and called these members with a similar view of “Dorothy” “Grand Wizard” by Ku Klux Klan.
“It was a bad attempt at humor,” Lehfeldt said.
Rep. Tim Burhcett, R-tenn., Lehfeldt asked if he would let his daughter fence against “a man.” Lehfeldt suggested he would allow it while he could boast of his organization’s safety precautions.
“As long as the competitor has met all the hormonal demands and complies with the policy, I would be okay with it,” Lehfeldt said.
Later during the hearing, Rep suggested. Nancy Mace, Rs.C., that Lehfeldt was “not” a man for his organization’s policy of gender eligibility.
“Real men protect women, you’re not one,” Mace said.
Mace even asked Lehfeldt to just apologize for Turner for punishing the fence, which the chairman rejected and pointed out that Turner received a black card for her rejection.
Turner told Pakinomist Digital after the DODE hearing that she would work to lobby management changes to the United States fence after walking away from the sport.
“I want to push for people to resign, to be honest. I want to see some people resign from the comments they have made, especially in public, those who harass and intended to humiliate affected women, mothers and daughters,” Turner said.
Now two members of the board are joined by this case.
In the midst of the ongoing control, the USA hencing’s board voted to change its current policy that Priority States With LGBTQ-friendly laws for host sites for competitions and a policy that may have prevented the game by National Anthem at some events, at his 7th June meeting.
The previous policies became one of the organization’s biggest criticisms of Turner’s viral protest.
US fence has refused to explain the motivation behind the changes.
“It would be inappropriate for the staff to speculate on the personal motivations of the US Hencing’s volunteer board,” a US spokesman told the US to Pakinomist Digital.
