USAID’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has released updates on several recent investigations, demonstrating the agency’s ongoing commitment to accountability and oversight despite broader political uncertainty.
The OIG has been actively investigating multiple cases involving USAID Foreign Service Officers:
- A controller at an overseas mission faces allegations of multiple fraudulent activities, including travel fraud, improper claims for Voluntary Separate Maintenance Allowance payments, falsification of a military leave order, and potential false statements on a COVID-19 pandemic relief application.
- Another FSO allegedly arranged a commercial sexual encounter at their government-furnished residence, which resulted in an altercation when payment was reportedly not provided.
- An untenured FSO was initially investigated for unauthorized recording of staff meetings. While this allegation was not substantiated, investigators discovered pornographic material on the officer’s government-issued phone and evidence of soliciting and engaging in commercial sex. The employee subsequently resigned to avoid termination.
Beyond personnel issues, the OIG also reported that a Randallstown, Maryland resident has pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for stealing and selling hundreds of government-issued smartphones, laptops, and other IT devices that had been designated for destruction.
The investigations demonstrate that regardless of potential agency restructuring, accountability mechanisms remain active.
For more detailed information on these and other investigations, visit the OIG’s website at https://oig.usaid.gov/our-work/investigations.
