A day before the U.S. Agency for International Development’s global programming was brought to a grinding halt, a memo from the agency’s watchdog shed light on the government’s criticisms of its programming.
The memo, written by Paul Martin, USAID’s inspector general since 2024, was sent to then-Acting Administrator Jason Gray — who has since been demoted — and chief of staff Matt Hopson, who has since resigned. The Office of Inspector General, or OIG, which provides oversight of USAID’s personnel, programs, and activities, outlined several concerns, including the lack of cooperation from United Nations agencies and foreign nongovernmental organizations in investigations, as well as limited vetting of partners for ties to terrorism and corruption.
The memo was sent to USAID leadership on Jan. 23, three days after President Donald Trump ordered a pause in disbursements of foreign aid for 90 days. This was then followed on Jan. 24 by a stop-work order for existing grants and contracts, as the government reviews programming to ensure foreign assistance is aligned with the president’s “America First” foreign policy agenda.
About the author
Sara Jervingsarajerving
Sara Jerving is a Senior Reporter at Devex, where she covers global health. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, VICE News, and Bloomberg News among others. Sara holds a master's degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism where she was a Lorana Sullivan fellow. She was a finalist for One World Media's Digital Media Award in 2021; a finalist for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists in 2018; and she was part of a VICE News Tonight on HBO team that received an Emmy nomination in 2018. She received the Philip Greer Memorial Award from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 2014.
