USAID watchdog fired after report on Trump’s bid to dismantle agency
Global News
Paul Martin had served as the U.S. Agency for International Development's inspector general, a position requiring U.S. Senate confirmation, since December 2023.
The inspector general for the U.S. Agency for International Development was fired on Tuesday, a USAID official said, a day after his office published a report critical of the Trump administration’s effort to eliminate the agency.
Paul Martin had served as the agency’s inspector general, a position requiring U.S. Senate confirmation, since December 2023.
The USAID official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, said Martin was “removed from his position.”
Martin was informed by an email from Trent Morse, deputy director of the Office of Presidential Personnel. Morse told Martin that his position as USAID inspector general was terminated “effective immediately,” a copy of the email showed.
No reason was provided. The White House did not have any comment.
The inspector general’s office on Monday released a report that said the Trump administration’s move to dismantle USAID has crippled its ability to conduct oversight of unspent aid worth $8.2 billion.
The report said staff cuts and stop-work orders have made it difficult to ensure taxpayer-funded aid would end up in the hands of those intended.
Hundreds of USAID programs across the globe representing billions of dollars of U.S. assistance came to a halt after U.S. President Donald Trump on January 20 ordered a freeze on most U.S. foreign aid, saying he wanted to ensure it was aligned with his “America First” policy.
