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.