Oops..Musk forgot to get rid of USAID Inspector General. Damning report released today.

[Nevilledog]

https://oig.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/2025-02/USAID%20OIG%20-%20Oversight%20of%20USAID-Funded%20Humanitarian%20Assistance%20Programming%20021025.pdf

Introduction

The United States Agency for International Development Office of Inspector General (USAID
OIG), through its investigations and audits, conducts independent oversight of USAID’s
programs and personnel. Our oversight work includes reviews of the Agency’s controls over its
humanitarian assistance funding. For example, in July 2024, we published a report identifying
shortcomings and vulnerabilities in USAID’s oversight mechanisms to prevent diversion of aid
to U.S.-designated terrorist organizations in Gaza. Similarly, in late January 2025, we issued a
memorandum highlighting challenges and potential “fixes” to ensure enhanced accountability of
foreign assistance funding, including humanitarian assistance programs funded by USAID but
implemented by United Nations agencies.

In this alert, we identify risks and challenges to the safeguarding and distribution of USAID’s
$8.2 billion in obligated but undisbursed humanitarian assistance funds following (1) the
Department of State’s pause on foreign assistance programs and (2) subsequent personnel
actions by USAID that have substantially reduced the operational capacity of its Bureau of
Humanitarian Assistance (BHA).

Background

On January 24, 2025, the Secretary of State ordered a pause in all new obligations of foreign
assistance funding pending an 85-day review of United States foreign assistance programs.1 The
Secretary additionally ordered contracting and grant officers to issue stop-work orders for all
existing foreign assistance awards.2 As such, all USAID programs were suspended, including
those with funds already obligated and disbursed.3

The Secretary’s January 24 order contained an initial waiver for “emergency food assistance.”
Four days later, the Secretary issued a waiver for disbursements under existing “lifesaving
humanitarian assistance” programs, defined as “life-saving medicine, medical services, food,
shelter, and subsistence assistance, as well as supplies and reasonable administrative costs as
necessary.” USAID guidance on implementation of the pause and subsequent waivers also
included a directive for staff to refrain from external communications outside of
“communications necessary to implement the pause.”4 Moreover, Agency officials’ plans to
place more than 90 percent of the USAID workforce on paid administrative leave effective
February 9 were paused for at least a week by a court order issued on February 7.5

*snip*

[Historic NY]

1. I want Musk and his Nerd Reich to be scared..

dox the everywhere they have no constitutional authority. He can't keep walking around with his kind on his head.

[SeattleVet]

2. Downloaded and archived, since I expect this will get 'disappeared' rather quickly.

[SunSeeker]

3. K & R

[orangecrush]

4. Kick for visibility

[UTUSN]

5. K&R

[h2ebits]

6. I downloaded this file also. . . .same reason. . . .it will disappear fast

P.S. I also posted it on Facebook.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

7. Trump fires USAID inspector general after report critical of funding freeze

The USAID inspector general did his job and did it well. For his trouble, the White House fired him.

Two weeks ago, Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley demanded an "immediate" explanation from the White House about Trump's inspectors general findings. Two weeks later, Trump not only failed to respond, he fired *another* IG.

So what is Grassley going to do about it? www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2025-02-12T14:03:35.408Z

Two weeks ago, Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley demanded an "immediate" explanation from the White House about Trump's inspectors general findings. Two weeks later, Trump not only failed to respond, he fired *another* IG.

So what is Grassley going to do about it?

Link to tweet

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-fires-usaid-inspector-general-report-critical-funding-freeze-rcna191815

The move was quickly labeled the “midnight massacre.” Late on a Friday night, in the first week of Donald Trump’s second term, the president fired 18 inspectors general without cause, sparking the first in a series of burgeoning controversies.....

Many of the fired IGs have filed suit, seeking reinstatement, but as the third week of Trump’s second term got underway, the president took yet another step in the same direction. NBC News reported:

The inspector general at the U.S. Agency for International Development was fired Tuesday, a day after his office released a report detailing the negative impact of the Trump administration’s dramatic downsizing of the agency, according to a letter obtained by NBC News. Paul Martin, who had been USAID’s inspector general since 2023, was notified of his dismissal by email.

The White House hasn't commented on its motivation for dismissing Martin. But the timing suggests he was fired for the worst possible reason: He did his job; he did it well; but the White House found his work politically inconvenient.....

Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is known in large part for his work championing the interests of inspectors general. With this in mind, after the president’s initial firing of 18 IGs, the Iowan and Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois wrote a joint letter to Trump on Jan. 28.

“We write to you today concerning the reported firing of Inspectors General (IGs) from 18 offices,” the senators’ correspondence began. “Congress was not provided the legally required 30-day notice and case-specific reasons for removal, as required by law. Accordingly, we request that you provide that information immediately.”

I spoke directly to Grassley’s office — just hours before the public learned about the White House firing the USAID inspector general — and the senator’s office confirmed that the president and his team have not responded to the senators’ request for “immediate” information.

On the contrary, exactly two weeks after Grassley and Durbin contacted Trump directly about IG firings, the president decided to fire another IG without cause, effectively thumbing his nose at the senators who took some preliminary steps to stand up for the law.

What we’re left with is a president who appears to be indifferent to both legal restrictions and the concerns of lawmakers.

How will Grassley and Durbin respond? Will Grassley and Durbin respond? Watch this space.