A U.S. lawmaker has alleged that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been indirectly funding terrorist organizations, including Boko Haram, ISIS, and Al-Qaeda.
Speaking at the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency's inaugural hearing on Thursday, Congressman Scott Perry, a Republican from Pennsylvania, made the claim while addressing misuse of taxpayer funds.
The session, titled “The War on Waste: Stamping Out the Scourge of Improper Payments and Fraud,” focused on concerns over fraudulent and improper government expenditures.
"$697 Million Annually Funding Terrorism" – Perry
Perry asserted that USAID funds, amounting to $697 million annually, have ended up supporting terrorist activities worldwide.
“Who gets some of that money? ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, ISIS-Khorasan, terrorist training camps. That’s what it’s funding,” Perry said.
He also accused USAID of failing to ensure transparency in its foreign aid projects, citing the agency’s $136 million allocation for constructing 120 schools in Pakistan, despite what he claimed was “zero evidence” of any actual schools being built.
Concerns Over USAID’s Women’s Programs
Perry further criticized USAID’s funding of women’s empowerment initiatives in Afghanistan, arguing that such programs are ineffective under Taliban rule, which severely restricts women’s rights.
“If you think the Women’s Scholarship Endowment ($60 million annually) or the Young Women Lead program ($5 million annually) is actually helping women in Afghanistan, you’re mistaken,” Perry said.
“The Taliban doesn’t even allow women to speak in public, yet we are supposed to believe that this money is being used for the betterment of Afghan women? It is not. You are funding terrorism.”
Trump, Musk Push for USAID Shutdown
Perry’s allegations come amid growing calls from former U.S. President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk to dismantle USAID over alleged corruption.
Trump has repeatedly called for the agency’s closure, accusing it of misusing taxpayer money. Meanwhile, Musk, whom Trump appointed to head the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has labeled USAID “a viper’s nest of radical-left Marxists who hate America.”
Musk has also accused the agency of engaging in “rogue CIA operations” and even “funding bioweapon research, including COVID-19.”
The push to shrink government spending and restructure federal agencies is a central pillar of Trump’s “Save America” movement, which aims to slash wasteful expenditures and dismantle bureaucracy.
What’s Next?
With growing scrutiny over foreign aid spending, USAID may face intensified investigations and potential restructuring under the next U.S. administration. However, no formal action has been taken yet.
US Congressman, Scott Perry says USAID funded Boko Haram, which carried out terror attacks in Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad. pic.twitter.com/UJuaqWotdP
— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) February 14, 2025
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