USAID inspector general fired days after publishing report critical of aid pause
Paul Martin was reportedly terminated from his position by White House officials
By Greg Wehner Fox News
Published February 11, 2025 8:34pm EST
The White House has fired the inspector general of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Fox News has learned.
USAID Inspector General Paul Martin was fired Tuesday, though rather than coming from USAID acting administrator and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the firing reportedly came from the White House Office of Presidential Personnel.
The dismissal comes days after the USAID inspector general published a report that was critical of the Trump administration’s pause on aid.
It also comes a day after USAID warned that the Trump administration’s dismantling of USAID had made it all but impossible to monitor $8.2 billion in humanitarian funds.
USAID is under fire from the Trump administration as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and its chair, Elon Musk, investigate the agency’s spending practices and prepare to revamp and potentially shutter the agency.
The agency announced on its website Feb. 4, that nearly all personnel would be placed on leave by Friday, making a few exceptions for those in roles related to "mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs."
Its overseas missions reportedly had also been told to shut down.
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/usaid-inspector-general-fired-days-after-publishing-report-critical-aid-pause
