House DOGE chair Marjorie Taylor Greene threatens criminal referrals over USAID
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who chairs the House Oversight DOGE subcommittee, issued a stern warning during a hearing on the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on Wednesday. Greene threatened potential “criminal referrals” based on the testimonies and evidence presented during the hearing.
Greene began her line of questioning by highlighting the connection between Hunter Biden and the Ukrainian energy company Burisma while his father, Joe Biden, was vice president. She referenced a video where Joe Biden allegedly threatened to withhold $1 billion in USAID grant to Ukraine unless the prosecutor general investigating Burisma, Viktor Shokin, was fired.
The congresswoman questioned former USAID official and Heritage Foundation senior research fellow, Max Primorac, about the use of USAID as leverage by a president to protect his son, to which Primorac responded that such actions constitute corruption. Greene also raised concerns about the allocation of USAID funding, with Primorac revealing that over 50% of funding was going towards overhead charges, raising serious red flags about the agency’s financial management.
Another witness, Gregg Roman, Executive Director of the Middle East Forum, testified about the misuse of USAID funds, stating that taxpayer dollars were being funneled to radical and terrorist-linked organizations. Roman urged the committee to make a formal criminal referral to the Department of Justice regarding USAID’s failure to prevent taxpayer dollars from reaching terrorist groups.
Throughout the hearing, Greene emphasized the need to hold USAID officials accountable for their actions and raised questions about potential criminal referrals. She expressed concerns about the agency being used as a “party piggy bank” by Democrats to push their radical agenda in foreign countries. Greene also highlighted the close ties between USAID employees and Democratic Party candidates, suggesting a possible investigation into whether USAID funding has made its way back to Democratic campaigns.
In her closing remarks, Greene reiterated the possibility of criminal referrals in connection to USAID funding, particularly if it is found that the agency funded terrorism resulting in the death of Americans. She emphasized the need for transparency and accountability within USAID to ensure that taxpayer dollars are not being misused for political purposes.
While Committee Democrats argued that the Trump administration’s actions towards USAID were illegal, Greene remained focused on addressing the systemic issues within the agency and holding those responsible accountable. The hearing shed light on the challenges facing USAID and the importance of oversight to prevent misuse of taxpayer funds.
Overall, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s strong stance on addressing potential misconduct within USAID underscores the need for accountability and transparency in government agencies. Her commitment to ensuring that taxpayer dollars are used responsibly and ethically is essential in upholding the integrity of the United States’ foreign aid programs.
