President Trump has fired the top watchdog for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) amid renewed scrutiny over the agency's funding of college education for an al Qaeda terrorist with ties to 9/11 hijackers.
Paul Martin, who held the role of inspector general since 2023, was notified via email by a White House official on Tuesday that his dismissal was "effective immediately." According to a copy of the email, no explanation was provided for Martin's removal. Martin's dismissal came just a day after his office released a report criticizing Trump's decision to halt USAID funding, after finding that the agency had squandered billions on lefty schemes in recent years.
No Explanation Before Firing
The report mentioned that the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle USAID had severely weakened the agency's ability to oversee around $8.2 billion in unspent aid. The report argued that staff reductions and stop-work orders had hindered efforts to ensure taxpayer-funded aid reached its intended recipients.
Meanwhile, news of Martin's firing emerged as newly uncovered records revealed that USAID had funded the college education of American-born jihadist Anwar al-Awlaki at Colorado State University in 1990. Al-Awlaki later became a key recruiter for terrorist attacks on U.S. soil.
According to documents obtained by Fox News, al-Awlaki misrepresented his birthplace on his application, falsely claiming he was born in Yemen instead of New Mexico. This apparent deception allowed him to secure more than $27,000 in federal tuition assistance.
With these funds, al-Awlaki earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering in 1994 before going on to teach Islam at mosques across the country. U.S. officials believe he used his position to radicalize and recruit terrorists, the records indicate.
No Tolerance for Misappropriation
In 2011, President Barack Obama authorized a U.S. airstrike in Yemen that killed al-Awlaki's. These revelations surfaced as Trump criticized USAID on Tuesday, calling it an "incompetent and corrupt" organization.
After issuing a directive on January 20 to freeze most U.S. foreign aid through USAID, Trump has enlisted billionaire Elon Musk to oversee efforts to downsize the agency.
Last week, the Trump administration acted to place the majority of USAID's staff on administrative leave, but a judge blocked the action on Friday.
Martin assumed the position in December 2023. Federal law mandates that Congress receive a 30-day notice before an inspector general can be dismissed.
The government must also provide a valid reason for the termination.
With his removal, Martin becomes the 20th inspector general from federal agencies to be fired under Trump's new administration.
