US Congressman, Scott Perry, has said that US aid agency, United States Agency for International Development, funded terrorist organisations, including Boko Haram.
Perry, a Republican representing Pennsylvania, made the claim 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 alleged misappropriations of taxpayer funds.
“Who gets some of that money? Does that name ring a bell to anybody in the room? Because your money, your money, $697 million annually, plus the shipments of cash funds in Madrasas, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, ISIS Khorasan, terrorist training camps. That’s what it’s funding,” Perry said.
U.S. Congressman Scott Perry, a Republican representing Pennsylvania, has alleged that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided funding to terrorist organizations, including Boko Haram. Perry made the claim during the inaugural hearing of the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency on Thursday, February 14, 2025. The hearing, titled “The War on Waste: Stamping Out the Scourge of Improper Payments and Fraud,” focused on the alleged misuse of taxpayer funds.
During the session, Perry stated, “Who gets some of that money? Does that name ring a bell to anybody in the room? Because your money, your money, $697 million annually, plus the shipments of cash funds in Madrasas, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, ISIS Khorasan, terrorist training camps. That’s what it’s funding.” He further criticized USAID’s reported allocation of $136 million for building 120 schools in Pakistan, claiming there was “zero evidence” of the schools’ construction.
Perry also questioned the effectiveness of USAID programs such as the Women’s Scholarship Endowment, which receives $60 million annually, and Young Women Lead, which gets $5 million annually. He argued that these funds, intended to support women in Afghanistan, were unlikely to benefit their intended recipients due to the Taliban’s restrictions on women’s rights. “If you read the Inspector General’s report, it tells you that the Taliban does not allow women to speak in public, yet somehow you’re believing, and American people are supposed to believe, that this money is going for the betterment of the women in Afghanistan. It is not,” Perry said.
The subcommittee, according to its website, aims to collaborate with President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency to eliminate waste, strengthen vulnerable payment systems, and investigate schemes that defraud taxpayers. Perry’s allegations have sparked significant debate, though no concrete evidence has yet been presented to substantiate the claims. USAID has not publicly responded to the accusations at the time of reporting.
Perry stated, “You are funding terrorism, and it’s coming through USAID. And it’s not just Afghanistan, because Pakistan’s right next door.” He highlighted USAID’s $840 million expenditure over the past 20 years on education-related programs in Pakistan, including $136 million earmarked for building 120 schools. Perry asserted that there is “zero evidence” these schools were ever constructed, citing the inability of the Inspector General to verify their existence.
He further criticized USAID’s decision to allocate an additional $20 million to create educational television programs for children who cannot attend physical schools, arguing that the schools themselves do not exist. “Yeah, they can’t attend it, because it doesn’t exist. You paid for it. Somebody else got the money. You are paying for terrorism. This has got to end,” Perry declared.
The congressman’s allegations align with broader criticisms of USAID by former U.S. President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, who heads the Department of Government Efficiency under Trump’s administration. Trump has repeatedly called for the closure of USAID, accusing the agency of corruption and inefficiency. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump described USAID as a source of waste and vowed to dismantle it as part of his efforts to shrink the federal government.
Elon Musk, a key ally of Trump, has also been vocal in his criticism of USAID, labeling it a “viper’s nest of radical-left Marxists who hate America.” Musk has accused the agency of engaging in rogue operations, including funding bioweapon research linked to COVID-19, which he claims resulted in millions of deaths. He has pledged to shut down USAID as part of his mandate to streamline government operations and eliminate waste.
Trump and Musk’s shared vision for reducing government bureaucracy and cutting wasteful spending has fueled their push to restructure or eliminate agencies like USAID. Trump emphasized this goal in a statement, saying, “DOGE will dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excessive regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies — essential to the ‘Save America’ movement. This will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in government waste, which is a lot of people!”
Perry’s allegations, coupled with the broader criticisms from Trump and Musk, have sparked intense debate about the role and accountability of USAID. While the claims remain unproven, they have reignited calls for greater transparency and oversight in the allocation of foreign aid. USAID has yet to issue a formal response to the accusations.
US Congressman, Scott Perry, has said that US aid agency, United States Agency for International Development, funded terrorist organisations, including Boko Haram.
Perry, a Republican representing Pennsylvania, made the claim 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 alleged misappropriations of taxpayer funds.
“Who gets some of that money? Does that name ring a bell to anybody in the room? Because your money, your money, $697 million annually, plus the shipments of cash funds in Madrasas, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, ISIS Khorasan, terrorist training camps. That’s what it’s funding,” Perry said.
U.S. Congressman Scott Perry, a Republican representing Pennsylvania, has alleged that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided funding to terrorist organizations, including Boko Haram. Perry made the claim during the inaugural hearing of the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency on Thursday, February 14, 2025. The hearing, titled “The War on Waste: Stamping Out the Scourge of Improper Payments and Fraud,” focused on the alleged misuse of taxpayer funds.
During the session, Perry stated, “Who gets some of that money? Does that name ring a bell to anybody in the room? Because your money, your money, $697 million annually, plus the shipments of cash funds in Madrasas, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, ISIS Khorasan, terrorist training camps. That’s what it’s funding.” He further criticized USAID’s reported allocation of $136 million for building 120 schools in Pakistan, claiming there was “zero evidence” of the schools’ construction.
Perry also questioned the effectiveness of USAID programs such as the Women’s Scholarship Endowment, which receives $60 million annually, and Young Women Lead, which gets $5 million annually. He argued that these funds, intended to support women in Afghanistan, were unlikely to benefit their intended recipients due to the Taliban’s restrictions on women’s rights. “If you read the Inspector General’s report, it tells you that the Taliban does not allow women to speak in public, yet somehow you’re believing, and American people are supposed to believe, that this money is going for the betterment of the women in Afghanistan. It is not,” Perry said.
The subcommittee, according to its website, aims to collaborate with President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency to eliminate waste, strengthen vulnerable payment systems, and investigate schemes that defraud taxpayers. Perry’s allegations have sparked significant debate, though no concrete evidence has yet been presented to substantiate the claims. USAID has not publicly responded to the accusations at the time of reporting.
Perry stated, “You are funding terrorism, and it’s coming through USAID. And it’s not just Afghanistan, because Pakistan’s right next door.” He highlighted USAID’s $840 million expenditure over the past 20 years on education-related programs in Pakistan, including $136 million earmarked for building 120 schools. Perry asserted that there is “zero evidence” these schools were ever constructed, citing the inability of the Inspector General to verify their existence.
He further criticized USAID’s decision to allocate an additional $20 million to create educational television programs for children who cannot attend physical schools, arguing that the schools themselves do not exist. “Yeah, they can’t attend it, because it doesn’t exist. You paid for it. Somebody else got the money. You are paying for terrorism. This has got to end,” Perry declared.
The congressman’s allegations align with broader criticisms of USAID by former U.S. President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, who heads the Department of Government Efficiency under Trump’s administration. Trump has repeatedly called for the closure of USAID, accusing the agency of corruption and inefficiency. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump described USAID as a source of waste and vowed to dismantle it as part of his efforts to shrink the federal government.
Elon Musk, a key ally of Trump, has also been vocal in his criticism of USAID, labeling it a “viper’s nest of radical-left Marxists who hate America.” Musk has accused the agency of engaging in rogue operations, including funding bioweapon research linked to COVID-19, which he claims resulted in millions of deaths. He has pledged to shut down USAID as part of his mandate to streamline government operations and eliminate waste.
Trump and Musk’s shared vision for reducing government bureaucracy and cutting wasteful spending has fueled their push to restructure or eliminate agencies like USAID. Trump emphasized this goal in a statement, saying, “DOGE will dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excessive regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies — essential to the ‘Save America’ movement. This will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in government waste, which is a lot of people!”
Perry’s allegations, coupled with the broader criticisms from Trump and Musk, have sparked intense debate about the role and accountability of USAID. While the claims remain unproven, they have reignited calls for greater transparency and oversight in the allocation of foreign aid. USAID has yet to issue a formal response to the accusations.