The Trump administration is indicating it may pursue criminal referrals against employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) or its grantee recipients over misuse of foreign assistance.
Peter Marocco, acting deputy administrator for USAID, informed lawmakers in a closed-door briefing Wednesday that he and his staff were considering referring cases to the Department of Justice, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.
One person present at the briefing said it was unclear if Marocco would follow through but viewed the statement as a serious indication of intent, particularly given its mention during a meeting with the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
A January memo from the USAID Office of Inspector General (OIG) noted resistance from some aid grantees in sharing information necessary for oversight. The memo pointed to $8 billion, largely distributed to United Nations agencies and multilateral development banks, that was shielded from scrutiny.
The State Department declined to comment on congressional briefings or communications. While Secretary of State Marco Rubio is the official head of USAID, Marocco has been a key figure in efforts to restructure the agency.
