Trump Considers Charges For USAID Staffers After DOGE Uncovers Stunning ‘Abuse’

Members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee were briefed Wednesday by Pete Marocco, USAID’s deputy administrator-designate, on findings from the ongoing review of the agency’s spending and operations under Trump’s directive.

The meeting on Capitol Hill was intended to provide an update on the review of foreign aid policies implemented under President Trump. In his discussions with lawmakers, Marocco indicated that the review, influenced by revelations from Elon Musk’s DOGE initiative, may lead to criminal referrals concerning misconduct at the agency.

“Apparently, there’s still judicial action that has even come out as late as this morning,” Rep. Keith Self, (R-TX), who attended the meeting, told DailyMail in an interview. “They intend to refer USAID officials to DOJ,” he shared, highlighting that fraud “is a criminal act.”

The congressman noted that Pete Marocco did not rule out the possibility that both USAID employees and those receiving grants could be implicated in criminal activities. “If they are detecting outright fraud, not just bad programs, not just ignoble programs, not just programs that don’t support the national interest of the United States, if they’re finding fraud, then, absolutely,” the perpetrators should face prosecution, Self said.

Self stressed that Marocco and USAID would only discuss their plans for criminal recommendations if they had a robust ‘paper trail.’

“You’re going to have to have a paper trail to prove that,” Self added. “And I doubt that they would refer anyone without a very strong paper trail.” An additional source present at the meeting also spoke to DailyMail, confirming the gravity of the allegations.

“Marocco briefed the full House Foreign Affairs Committee, Democrats and Republicans, that the waste, fraud, and abuse at USAID was more severe than initially presumed,” the second source revealed.

“He told lawmakers that multiple referrals to the Justice Department for criminal prosecution were being considered,” they continued. “The conduct in question arose because of USAID’s decentralized accountability system that often left grantees on the ground using American tax dollars in ways that were both inappropriate and potentially illegal,” the source disclosed.

USAID has been undergoing a dramatic transformation following intervention by DOGE. The department, aimed at reducing government inefficiencies, has already initiated sweeping changes that have disrupted USAID’s operations.

Several high-ranking officials, including the agency’s security director, have been placed on administrative leave, and the agency’s website has been taken offline. Programs focused on democracy-building and free speech initiatives have been significantly scaled back or put on hold.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision, declined to overturn a lower court ruling that unfroze federal spending contracts at USAID, frustrating conservatives who saw it as a blow to President Trump. The ruling rejected Trump’s request to keep billions in aid payments frozen while the administration audits them for waste and fraud.

“You’re going to have to have a paper trail to prove that,” Self added. “And I doubt that they would refer anyone without a very strong paper trail.” An additional source present at the meeting also spoke to DailyMail, confirming the gravity of the allegations.

“Marocco briefed the full House Foreign Affairs Committee, Democrats and Republicans, that the waste, fraud, and abuse at USAID was more severe than initially presumed,” the second source revealed.

“He told lawmakers that multiple referrals to the Justice Department for criminal prosecution were being considered,” they continued. “The conduct in question arose because of USAID’s decentralized accountability system that often left grantees on the ground using American tax dollars in ways that were both inappropriate and potentially illegal,” the source disclosed.

USAID has been undergoing a dramatic transformation following intervention by DOGE. The department, aimed at reducing government inefficiencies, has already initiated sweeping changes that have disrupted USAID’s operations.

Several high-ranking officials, including the agency’s security director, have been placed on administrative leave, and the agency’s website has been taken offline. Programs focused on democracy-building and free speech initiatives have been significantly scaled back or put on hold.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision, declined to overturn a lower court ruling that unfroze federal spending contracts at USAID, frustrating conservatives who saw it as a blow to President Trump. The ruling rejected Trump’s request to keep billions in aid payments frozen while the administration audits them for waste and fraud.