The Inspector General of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Paul Martin, was abruptly dismissed on Tuesday.

Just one day after his office released a report criticizing the Trump administration’s sweeping cuts to the agency.

Martin was informed of his immediate termination via an email from the Office of Presidential Personnel.

A spokesperson for the USAID Office of Inspector General (OIG) verified Martin’s firing, noting that no explanation was provided.

Under federal law, the administration is required to notify Congress 30 days in advance before dismissing an inspector general and must provide specific reasons for the decision.

The White House has yet to comment on the matter.

Watchdog’s removal sparks concerns over humanitarian oversight

Martin had served as USAID’s Inspector General since December 2023.

While President Donald Trump had removed watchdogs from more than a dozen federal agencies early in his tenure, USAID’s internal investigator had remained in place—until now.

Inspectors general are responsible for conducting audits and investigations into fraud, waste, and misconduct within government agencies, ensuring taxpayer funds are properly allocated.

Their offices are designed to function independently, free from political interference.

Following Martin’s removal, staff at the USAID OIG were informed that their access to their office space had been revoked, two sources told CNN.

The Trump administration had already shuttered USAID’s Washington headquarters last week, but the OIG personnel had been permitted to continue working in the building until Tuesday.

The timing of Martin’s dismissal has raised alarms.

Particularly in light of the OIG’s Monday report, which detailed the negative consequences of the Trump administration’s freeze on foreign aid and its aggressive downsizing of USAID’s workforce.

The report highlighted that these actions had severely hampered oversight of $8.2 billion in U.S. taxpayer-funded humanitarian assistance, making it more difficult to track and prevent potential misuse of funds.

A federal judge temporarily blocked the administration’s recent attempts to place thousands of USAID employees on leave and remove agency contractors.

However, the damage to USAID’s humanitarian oversight remains significant.

The OIG report warned that staff reductions have paralyzed crucial vetting programs, which are meant to ensure that U.S. assistance does not fall into the hands of extremist organizations like Hamas, Hezbollah, ISIS, or the Houthis.

With nearly 90% of USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance workforce affected by furloughs or impending layoffs, the agency’s ability to manage and safeguard humanitarian aid remains in jeopardy.