A U.S. Congressman, Scott Perry, has alleged that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) funded the Boko Haram terrorist group under the administrations of former U.S. Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
Perry, a Republican representative from Pennsylvania, made these claims during the inaugural hearing of the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency on Thursday. The session, titled “The War on Waste: Stamping Out the Scourge of Improper Payments and Fraud,” focused on allegations of taxpayer funds being misused.
“Who gets some of that money? Your money—$697 million annually—along with cash shipments to Madrasas, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, ISIS Khorasan, and terrorist training camps. That’s what it’s funding,” Perry asserted.
According to the subcommittee’s website, it aims to collaborate with former President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to combat waste, strengthen vulnerable payment systems, and investigate fraudulent use of taxpayer funds.
Allegations Against USAID
Perry further accused USAID of misusing funds meant for educational initiatives. He cited an alleged $136 million allocation for building 120 schools in Pakistan, claiming there was “zero evidence” that the schools were ever constructed.
“If you think the Women’s Scholarship Endowment, receiving $60 million annually, or the Young Women Lead program, which gets about $5 million annually, is genuinely supporting women in Afghanistan—think again,” Perry said. He pointed to an Inspector General’s report stating that the Taliban does not allow women to speak publicly, questioning the credibility of USAID’s spending in the region.
“You are funding terrorism, and it’s happening through USAID—not just in Afghanistan, but in Pakistan as well,” he added.
Perry also claimed that USAID had spent $840 million over the past 20 years on Pakistan’s education programs, including the controversial $136 million school project. “Why would there be evidence of these schools? The Inspector General can’t even get in to verify them,” he remarked.
“But you know what? We doubled down and spent another $20 million on educational TV programs for children who couldn’t attend school. And guess what? The schools don’t exist. You paid for it. Somebody else got the money. You are funding terrorism. This has got to end.”
Trump and Musk’s Plans to Shut Down USAID
Former President Donald Trump has previously called for shutting down USAID, alleging corruption within the agency. He reiterated these calls on his Truth Social platform, aligning with his broader effort—alongside billionaire Elon Musk—to reduce government bureaucracy.
Musk, whom Trump appointed to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has also been a vocal critic of USAID, accusing it of engaging in rogue operations. He has labeled the agency “a viper’s nest of radical-left Marxists who hate America” and vowed to dismantle it.
Musk has further alleged that USAID conducts “rogue CIA work” and has even “funded bioweapon research, including COVID-19, that killed millions of people.”
Trump has stated that DOGE’s mission is to “dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excessive regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies” as part of the broader “Save America” movement.
“This will send shockwaves through the system,” Trump said, “and anyone involved in government waste—which is a lot of people—should be worried.”
