USAID funded Boko Haram, other terror groups – US congressman

Perry, a Republican representing Pennsylvania, made this claim during the inaugural hearing of the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency. 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 questioned the allocation of U.S. aid funds, stating, “Who receives some of this money? Your tax dollars—$697 million annually—along with cash shipments are being funneled into madrasas, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, ISIS Khorasan, and terrorist training camps.”

According to the subcommittee’s website, its mandate includes collaborating with President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency to eliminate waste, strengthen vulnerable payment systems, and investigate fraudulent taxpayer schemes.

Perry also highlighted USAID’s reported allocation of $136 million for constructing 120 schools in Pakistan, alleging that there was “zero evidence” of any schools actually being built.

Additionally, he criticized programs like the Women’s Scholarship Endowment and Young Women Lead, which receive $60 million and $5 million annually, respectively. He argued that such initiatives claim to support women in Afghanistan, despite Taliban restrictions that prohibit women from speaking publicly. “The American people are supposed to believe this money benefits women in Afghanistan? It does not. You are funding terrorism through USAID,” Perry asserted.

He further alleged that over the past 20 years, USAID spent $840 million on Pakistan’s education sector, yet there is no verifiable proof of school construction. Instead, he claimed, $20 million was used to develop educational television programs for children unable to attend schools that, according to him, “do not exist.”

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has previously called for the closure of USAID, accusing the agency of corruption on his Truth Social platform. This push aligns with Trump’s broader initiative—supported by billionaire Elon Musk—to reduce the size of the U.S. government.

Musk, whom Trump appointed to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has also criticized USAID, labeling it “a viper’s nest of radical-left Marxists who hate America.” He has vowed to shut it down, further alleging that the agency engages in covert CIA operations and has funded controversial bioweapon research.

Trump emphasized that DOGE’s mission is to “dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excessive regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies.” He declared that the initiative would send “shockwaves through the system” and hold accountable those involved in government waste.