U.S. Congressman Scott Perry has accused the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) of indirectly funding terrorist organizations, including Boko Haram, ISIS, and Al-Qaeda, through mismanaged aid programmes.
Perry, a Republican from Pennsylvania, made the claims during the inaugural hearing of the House sub-committee on Delivering on Government Efficiency on Thursday.
The hearing, titled: “The war on waste: Stamping out the scourge of improper payments and fraud,” examined alleged misappropriations of taxpayer funds.
“Your money—$697 million annually—plus shipments of cash is funding ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, and ISIS Khorasan,” Perry stated. He further alleged that USAID has been funding religious schools (Madrasas) and terrorist training camps.
The congressman also questioned USAID’s reported $136 million expenditure for constructing 120 schools in Pakistan, claiming there was “zero evidence” of their existence.
“The inspector general can’t get in to see them,” Perry said. He also criticized a $20 million USAID-funded educational television programme for Pakistani children, asserting that “they can’t attend school because it doesn’t exist.”
Perry also took aim at USAID’s women’s empowerment initiatives in Afghanistan, including the Women’s Scholarship Endowment ($60 million annually) and Young Women Lead ($5 million annually), arguing that such funds are ineffective under Taliban rule.
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His comments align with former President Donald Trump’s long-standing criticism of USAID, which he has accused of corruption. Trump had previously called for the agency’s closure, branding it a waste of taxpayer money.
Elon Musk, whom Trump appointed to lead the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has echoed these sentiments, calling USAID “a viper’s nest of radical-left Marxists” and accusing it of engaging in “rogue CIA work.”
Musk has vowed to shut down the agency as part of broader government restructuring efforts.
Trump has positioned DOGE as a key initiative in his Save America movement, aiming to dismantle federal bureaucracy, cut excessive regulations, and eliminate wasteful spending.
The allegations against USAID have sparked controversy, with critics arguing they are politically motivated, while supporters claim they highlight the urgent need for accountability in foreign aid spending.
USAID has yet to respond to Perry’s claims.
