President Donald Trump has fired Paul Martin, the Inspector General for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), without providing a reason, sources familiar with the matter have confirmed.
Martin, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden and had led the inspector general’s office since December 2023, received his dismissal via a brief two-sentence email from Trent Morse, deputy director of the White House’s Office of Presidential Personnel.
His termination was effective immediately.
The firing came just one day after Martin’s office released a report detailing the negative impact of the administration’s cuts to USAID, warning that nearly $500 million in food aid was at risk of spoiling due to funding reductions. The report concluded that these cuts had significantly “degraded USAID‘s ability to distribute and safeguard taxpayer-funded humanitarian assistance.”
While no other staff members from the USAID inspector general’s office have been put on leave, employees were informed on Tuesday that they no longer had access to their office in the Ronald Reagan Building. The General Services Administration confirmed that USAID’s lease in the building was terminated over the weekend.
In an email to colleagues, Martin expressed his disappointment but gratitude for his time overseeing the agency’s oversight efforts. “It has been a true honor and pleasure to walk alongside my OIG colleagues around the world as we sought to provide independent and aggressive oversight of USAID programs and personnel,” he wrote.
This move follows a pattern of Trump dismissing federal watchdogs without explanation. Since his inauguration, the president has fired at least 17 inspectors general, prompting bipartisan concern in Congress. Republican Senator Chuck Grassley has joined Democrats in demanding the administration provide justification, as federal law requires a rationale for such dismissals.
In a related action, Trump also removed the director of the Office of Government Ethics, David Huitema, earlier this week, further fueling concerns about the White House’s approach to oversight and accountability.
Source: The Ghana Times
