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.
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“On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as Inspector General of the United States Agency for International Development is terminated, effective immediately,” Trent Morse, deputy director of the Office of Presidential Personnel, informed Martin in an email obtained by NBC News. “Thank you for your service.”
CNN first reported Martin’s firing.
The report by USAID’s Office of the Inspector General, led by Martin, warned of the dangers associated with the gap in staffing, including a lack of oversight that may leave the agency “susceptible to inadvertently funding entities or salaries of individuals associated with U.S.-designated terrorist organizations.”
It also described the uncertainty surrounding the waivers for lifesaving assistance issued by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which it said put “more than $489 million of food assistance at ports, in transit, and in warehouses at risk of spoilage, unanticipated storage needs, and diversion.”
Martin informed his staff of his removal shortly after he received the termination notice.
“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,” Martin wrote in the email. “Take care of yourselves and take care of each other. And, as always, thank you for what you do and how you do it.”
The White House did not immediately respond Tuesday night to a request for comment on Martin’s dismissal.
Rubio last month ordered an immediate stop to the flow of almost all U.S. foreign assistance pending a review, following an executive order from Trump that issued a 90-day pause on new obligations and disbursements of foreign aid.
USAID contractors sued the Trump administration on Tuesday, asking a federal court to block implementation of Trump’s funding freeze.
The Trump administration abruptly shuttered the agency’s headquarters last week and announced that it would place nearly all direct hires on administrative leave, a move that has prompted legal action from labor groups.
A judge stepped in last week to temporarily pause efforts to expedite evacuations for personnel overseas and to place 2,200 staff on administrative leave. The judge also rescinded administrative leave for another 500 workers.
