Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) accuses the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) of waste, corruption, inefficiency, and attempts to thwart congressional oversight. Ernst cites examples of alleged misuse of funds, including expenditures on pottery classes, fashion shows, and tourism, and claims that USAID funds may have ended up in the hands of terrorists. She also alleges that USAID-funded consultancy Chemonics collaborated with the Taliban in Afghanistan. Ernst calls for a complete overhaul of the agency.
, Ernst outlined problems with the agency that she discovered in previous investigations. In addition to waste, corruption, and inefficiency, she also alleged a “demonstrated pattern of obstructionism” in its dealings with the Senate.
“When approached with reasonable questions, bureaucrats and political appointees stated first that there was nothing to be concerned about. Subsequently, they took every measure possible to resist scrutiny or oversight while they pumped millions in American taxpayer dollars around the globe. One might assume they have something to hide,” she continued.
The Iowa senator went into detail regarding some of the excesses of USAID in an X thread, including a reported $2 million for pottery classes in Morocco, an undisclosed sum for Ukrainian models to attend fashion shows abroad, $2 million for tourism in Lebanon, $20 million for a Sesame Street in Iraq, and $9 million in humanitarian assistance for Syria that ended up in the hands of terrorists.
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