Inspector General for the USAID After Damning Report [WATCH]

The Trump administration has dismissed Paul Martin, the inspector general of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), just one day after he issued a report raising concerns about oversight of unspent foreign aid funds.

JUST IN: The USAID Inspector General just got fired.

Truly beautiful. pic.twitter.com/zinifR5h4c

— George (@BehizyTweets) February 11, 2025

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Martin was removed from his position on Tuesday, receiving an email from the Office of Presidential Personnel’s deputy director informing him that his role was “terminated, effective immediately.”

His firing follows the release of a report in which he warned that the dismantling of USAID, led by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under Elon Musk, had disrupted oversight of $8.2 billion in unspent humanitarian aid.

On Monday, Martin’s office published a flash report stating that Trump’s freeze on foreign assistance and workforce reductions at USAID had left the agency unable to monitor spending effectively.

The report highlighted concerns about ensuring aid funds do not fall into the hands of violent extremist groups or become lost in conflict zones.

USAID’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) confirmed Martin’s dismissal, but no reason was provided for the decision.

Martin, who was appointed to the role in December 2023, is the latest in a series of inspectors general removed under Trump’s administration.

Federal law requires that Congress be given 30 days’ notice before an inspector general is removed, along with a justification for the decision.

However, Martin’s termination was effective immediately.

JUST ANNOUNCED: The President of the United States Donald J. Trump just fired the USAID Inspector General Paul Martin. You’re fired! pic.twitter.com/po76tT7Wef

— AJ Huber (@Huberton) February 12, 2025

He now joins 19 other inspectors general dismissed since Trump took office, as part of a broader effort to restructure federal oversight positions.

The Trump administration has been downsizing USAID as part of its efforts to cut government spending and realign foreign aid with the administration’s policy goals.

Trump signed an executive order on January 20 freezing all foreign assistance, leading to the shutdown of multiple U.S.-funded aid and development programs.

USAID has faced additional setbacks after the General Services Administration (GSA) stripped the agency of its long-held office lease in Washington, D.C., as part of broader cost-cutting measures.

As a result, USAID staff were locked out of their offices and sent home, with warnings that the majority of the agency’s workforce would be laid off.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), spearheaded by Elon Musk, has been leading the effort to dismantle or restructure various federal agencies, with an initial focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.

However, USAID has been hit the hardest, with Trump and Musk criticizing the agency’s global operations as wasteful and misaligned with the administration’s agenda.

With USAID’s leadership and workforce facing significant downsizing, and oversight mechanisms severely weakened, the future of U.S. foreign assistance remains uncertain as the administration continues its restructuring of federal agencies.

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