In a heated session at the inaugural hearing of the House Subcommittee on Delivering Government Efficiency, Republican Congressman Scott Perry accused the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) of diverting taxpayer funds to finance terrorist organizations, including Nigeria’s notorious Boko Haram.
Perry alleged that USAID’s $697 million annual budget—and additional undisclosed cash shipments—was used to support groups such as ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and Boko Haram, a jihadist faction that has waged a 15-year insurgency in West Africa.
He emphasized the catastrophic impact of Boko Haram, citing over 300,000 child deaths, 2.3 million displaced civilians, and prolonged regional famine. “Your money isn’t building schools—it’s funding terrorist training camps,” he asserted.
The congressman also spotlighted USAID’s $136 million allocation for constructing 120 schools in Pakistan, claiming there was no evidence to prove any of these schools exist. “The Inspector General can’t verify a single brick was laid, yet we doubled down with $20 million for educational TV programs for ‘students’ of these phantom schools,” Perry stated, contending that the spending served as a conduit for terrorism financing.
His remarks echoed earlier criticisms from former President Donald Trump, who moved to shutter USAID over corruption allegations, as well as those from Elon Musk, the agency’s vocal critic and head of the newly formed efficiency department. Musk has accused USAID of engaging in covert operations, including funding “rogue CIA activities” and pandemic-linked bioweapon research.
Perry’s allegations, which have drawn intense scrutiny, have reignited debates over USAID’s accountability as lawmakers push for comprehensive transparency reforms. The agency has yet to issue a public response to the claims.
