In a startling revelation during the inaugural hearing of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, Congressman Scott Perry (R-Pennsylvania) accused the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) of funding terrorist organizations, including the notorious Nigerian-based group Boko Haram.
The hearing, titled “The War on Waste: Stamping Out the Scourge of Improper Payments and Fraud,” focused on allegations of mismanagement and misuse of taxpayer funds. Perry, a vocal critic of government inefficiency, claimed that USAID’s annual budget of $697 million, along with cash shipments to madrasas (Islamic religious schools), has inadvertently financed terrorist groups such as ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, and ISIS Khorasan.
“Who gets some of that money? Does that name ring a bell to anybody in the room? Because your money—your money—funds terrorist training camps. That’s what it’s funding,” Perry stated during the session.
The subcommittee, established to address government waste and fraud, has pledged to collaborate with President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency to investigate improper payments and strengthen vulnerable financial systems. Trump, a long-time critic of USAID, has previously called for the agency’s closure, accusing it of corruption in a post on his Truth Social platform. His administration, supported by billionaire ally Elon Musk, has prioritized shrinking the size of the federal government.
Musk, whom Trump appointed to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, has also criticized USAID, alleging that the agency engages in rogue operations. These claims have fueled ongoing debates about the effectiveness and accountability of U.S. foreign aid programs.
