A United States lawmaker, Representative Scott Perry, has accused the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) of indirectly financing terrorist organisations, including Boko Haram. Perry, a Republican representative from Pennsylvania, made these claims during the inaugural hearing of the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency.
The hearing, held on Thursday, centred on concerns regarding the alleged misuse of taxpayer funds and was titled “The War on Waste: Stamping Out the Scourge of Improper Payments and Fraud.” Perry asserted that USAID’s financial allocations have inadvertently funded extremist groups.
“Who gets some of that money? Does that name ring a bell to anybody in the room? Because your money, your money, $697 million annually, plus the shipments of cash funds in Madrasas, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, ISIS Khorasan, terrorist training camps. That’s what it’s funding,”
he said.
“Under Obama and Biden, USAID was funding Book Haram.” 😭😭
~American Republican Congressman,
Scott Perry>>>>
Chief of Defense staff Gen. Musa Christopher:“Let’s find out the funding of Boko Haram and ISWAP, when 200,000 members surrendered we found foreign currency with… pic.twitter.com/8GjQAuMzqx
— Ainà Dipo 🇳🇬 (@dipoaina1) February 14, 2025
According to information on the subcommittee’s official website, its purpose is to “actively work with President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency to root out waste, shore up vulnerable payment systems, and fully investigate schemes to defraud taxpayers.”
During his statement, Perry also pointed to USAID’s allocation of $136 million for the construction of 120 schools in Pakistan, claiming there was no tangible evidence that these institutions had been built.
“USAID spent $840 million in the last year, the last 20 years, on Pakistan’s education-related programme. It includes $136 million to build 120 schools, of which there is zero evidence that any of them were built. Why would there be any evidence? The Inspector General can’t get in to see them,”
he stated.
Perry went on to criticise specific USAID-funded initiatives, including the Women’s Scholarship Endowment under Operation Enduring Sentinel, which receives $60 million annually, and the Young Women Lead programme, allocated $5 million annually. He argued that these funds were unlikely to benefit the intended recipients, particularly in Afghanistan, where Taliban restrictions severely limit women’s rights.
“If you think that the programme under Operation Enduring Sentinel entitled Women’s Scholarship Endowment, which receives $60 million annually, or the Young Women Lead, which gets about $5 million annually, is going to women who, by the way, if you read the Inspector General’s report, is telling you that the Taliban does not allow women to speak in public, yet somehow you’re believing, and American people are supposed to believe, that this money is going for the betterment of the women in Afghanistan. It is not,”
he claimed.
Perry also took issue with USAID’s investment in educational initiatives, particularly in countries where transparency is reportedly lacking. He referenced a $20 million allocation towards educational television programmes for children unable to attend physical schools, questioning the legitimacy of such expenditures.
“But you know what? We doubled down and spent $20 million from USAID to create educational television programs for children unable to attend the physical school. Yeah, they can’t attend it, because it doesn’t exist. You paid for it. Somebody else got the money. You are paying for terrorism. This has got to end.”
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has previously advocated for the dissolution of USAID, alleging widespread corruption within the organisation. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump accused the agency of mismanaging funds and operating without proper oversight.
This stance aligns with the broader agenda of Trump and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, who has been appointed to head the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Both figures have been vocal about their desire to downsize the federal government and eliminate agencies they consider inefficient.
Musk, in particular, has harshly criticised USAID, alleging that it engages in clandestine operations beyond its stated mandate.
“USAID is a viper’s nest of radical-left Marxists who hate America,”
Musk reportedly said, vowing to see the agency dismantled.
He further alleged that USAID has engaged in “rogue CIA work” and has even been involved in controversial research initiatives.
“USAID funded bioweapon research, including COVID-19, that killed millions of people,”
Musk claimed.
Trump has reiterated his commitment to reforming government spending, stating that the Department of Government Efficiency will take decisive action to eliminate bureaucratic waste.
“DOGE will dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excessive regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies — essential to the ‘Save America’ movement. This will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in government waste, which is a lot of people!”
he declared.
