Scott Perry, a Republican congressman from Pennsylvania, has accused the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) of misusing taxpayer funds by allegedly financing terrorist organizations, including Boko Haram, ISIS, and Al-Qaeda.
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Perry made the allegations during a hearing of the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, where he raised concerns about USAID’s financial allocations.
He questioned how the agency’s annual budget of $697 million was being spent, suggesting that some of it could be aiding terrorist groups.
The congressman also criticized USAID’s reported expenditure of $136 million on constructing 120 schools in Pakistan, arguing that there is no clear proof that these schools were built. Additionally, he pointed out that $20 million had been allocated for educational television programs aimed at children unable to attend school, questioning the legitimacy of the initiative.
The subcommittee, which focuses on preventing waste and fraud, is expected to further scrutinize USAID’s expenditures to ensure proper use of public funds.
His allegations come after President Donald Trump froze USAID funding, a decision that disrupted global humanitarian efforts and forced many staff members to go on leave. Trump also recently dismissed Paul Martin, the agency’s independent inspector general, just a day after Martin’s office released a report critical of the administration’s handling of USAID.
