US Congressman Scott Perry responds to Ogebe’s challenge, after pressure to substantiate or recant claim
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
United States Congressman Scott Perry has tacitly withdrawn his allegation of USAID funding of Boko Haram after human rights lawyer Emmanuel Ogebe challenged him to substantiate or recant what he described as a “blatantly baseless allegation.”
Ogbe said in Perry’s reply, which came over a month later, he backtracked from “his preposterous claims that USAID funded the terror group which I led the US government to designate as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).
“Rather he has pivoted from terror-financing to claims of ‘USAID grifting’ such as ‘$446k promoting atheism in Nepal; $14m in cash vouchers for non-citizens at the U.S. southern border; $1.5m promoting jobs for LGBTQ persons in Serbia; $2.5m for electric vehicle charging stations in Vietnam.”
Ogebe stressed that “Perry downgraded his incendiary political rhetoric where he queried where USAID funds were going and hinted it must be going to terror.
“In his February remarks and in his March 26 response to me, he never mentioned Nigeria. This time he didn’t mention Boko Haram or terror either.
“In addition to calling him out for his irresponsible remarks, I had petitioned the Department of Justice to investigate him.
“With the political climate in Washington where politicians lie with impunity, I am gratified that Perry chose the path of honor.”
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Below are copies of the correspondence between Ogebe and Perry, which Ogebe sent to TheNiche:
Dear Rep Scott Perry,
Your statement claiming USAID funds Boko Haram terrorists has sent shockwaves through Nigeria and elicited targeting of innocent Christians and aidworkers because of your baseless claims.
To make matters worse, you have further endangered hundreds of American diplomats in one of the largest U.S. embassies in the world many of whom already lost their jobs due to the vampiric shutdown by lawless non-state actors in DC.
You may not know this but I evacuated along with hundreds of American diplomats from Nigeria after a bomb was planted in a US embassy compound in Abuja by Islamist terrorists. They and their families were internationally displaced for months before returning in early 2023 to Nigeria.
For you to make such false and unfounded allegations, right after Musk’s admission that USAID’s $50 million condoms used for bombings by Hamas terrorists was untrue, irresponsibly jeopardizes the security of American diplomats and their families, local Christians and aidworkers in Nigeria.
It also a slap in the face to several of your house colleagues who have courageously traveled with me on bipartisan factfinding CODELs visiting victims of persecution and Boko Haram terrorism.
I hope you will quickly repudiate your false claim regarding Boko Haram before anyone gets hurt. No political propaganda or showboating is worth putting Americans lives at risk abroad for a lie.
Emmanuel Ogebe
*****************************
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: Representative Scott Perry
Date: March 26, 2025 at 1:57:28 PM EDT
To: Attorney Emmanuel Ogebe
Congress of the United States. House of Representatives. Washington, DC 20515
Transportation And Infrastructure
Foreign Affairs
March 26, 2025
Dear Attorney Ogebe,
Thank you for contacting me about the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) examination of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). I appreciate your views on this matter, as I do your patience as we navigate a great deal of communication.
Waste, fraud, and abuse have run rampant in the federal government for decades. DOGE is trying to solve/address it all. The main mission of DOGE is to ensure that that resources of hardworking American People are not squandered.
DOGE is going line-by-line across the federal budget inspecting and trying to eliminate waste – something for which I’ve fought and advocated since coming to Congress, so it has my full and enthusiastic support.
Something else about which I’ve sounded the alarm for years is USAID – one of the greatest grifts against the American Taxpayer.
Frustratingly, this was “too hard” for many Members of Congress, the Executive branch, and bureaucrats to handle, let alone actually address; so now that DOGE was allowed to deep-dive into the stunning grift of USAID, it certainly has my full support here as well.
The egregious USAID grifting includes: funding partisan media outlets like Politico, which received over $8M (and almost $500K for 37 Politico Pro subscriptions at the FDA); $15M for condoms to the Taliban; over $446K promoting atheism in Nepal; $14M in cash vouchers for non-citizens at the U.S. southern border; $1.5M promoting jobs for LGBTQ persons in Serbia; $2.5M for electric vehicle charging stations in Vietnam; over $425K helping Indonesian coffee companies become more climate and gender friendly; over $3.3M for “being LGBTQ in the Caribbean;” and $20M for a Sesame Street-style show in Iraq.
This is all just the tip of the iceberg of USAID offenses; it’s insanity – at best – and not only can USAID’s end not come soon enough, but it must be investigated thoroughly for fraud and abuse of Taxpayer dollars.
While concerns have been raised about DOGE’s dealings with personal information, DOGE has no access to the Treasury’s tax and Social Security data. As a Member on the House Oversight Committee, I will continue to ensure the safety and security of Americans’ personal data.
I applaud President Trump’s executive action; however, government efficiency needs to be codified.
I have introduced a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution every Session that I’ve been in Congress. It requires the federal government to balance its budget and limit it to spending only what it takes in each year.
President Trump has taken the first step towards fiscal sanity, now it’s time for Congress to take it to the finish line.
Once again, thank you for contacting me. I appreciate your concerns and welcome your continued feedback. Please visit my website at perry.house.gov to submit further questions/comments or to sign up for my e-newsletter, Facebook page, and/or Twitter updates.
Very Respectfully,
Scott Perry Signature.
Scott Perry
Member of Congress
10th District, Pennsylvania
*******************************
From: Representative Scott Perry
Date: March 26, 2025 at 1:57:28 PM EDT
To: Attorney Emmanuel Ogebe
| Scott Perry 10th District, Pennsylvania 2160 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Tel: (202) 225-5836 Infrastructure Foreign Affairs |
| March 26, 2025 |
| Dear Attorney Ogebe, Thank you for contacting me about the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) examination of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). I appreciate your views on this matter, as I do your patience as we navigate a great deal of communication. Waste, fraud, and abuse have run rampant in the federal government for decades. DOGE is trying to solve / address it all. The main mission of DOGE is to ensure that that resources of hardworking American People are not squandered. DOGE is going line-by-line across the federal budget inspecting and trying to eliminate waste – something for which I’ve fought and advocated since coming to Congress, so it has my full and enthusiastic support. Something else about which I’ve sounded the alarm for years is USAID – one of the greatest grifts against the American Taxpayer. Frustratingly, this was “too hard” for many Members of Congress, the Executive branch, and bureaucrats to handle, let alone actually address; so now that DOGE was allowed to deep-dive into the stunning grift of USAID, it certainly has my full support here as well. The egregious USAID grifting includes: funding partisan media outlets like Politico, which received over $8M (and almost $500K for 37 Politico Pro subscriptions at the FDA); $15M for condoms to the Taliban; over $446K promoting atheism in Nepal; $14M in cash vouchers for non-citizens at the U.S. southern border; $1.5M promoting jobs for LGBTQ persons in Serbia; $2.5M for electric vehicle charging stations in Vietnam; over $425K helping Indonesian coffee companies become more climate and gender friendly; over $3.3M for “being LGBTQ in the Caribbean;” and $20M for a Sesame Street-style show in Iraq. This is all just the tip of the iceberg of USAID offenses; it’s insanity – at best – and not only can USAID’s end not come soon enough, but it must be investigated thoroughly for fraud and abuse of Taxpayer dollars. While concerns have been raised about DOGE’s dealings with personal information, DOGE has no access to the Treasury’s tax and Social Security data. As a Member on the House Oversight Committee, I will continue to ensure the safety and security of Americans’ personal data. I applaud President Trump’s executive action; however, government efficiency needs to be codified. I have introduced a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution every Session that I’ve been in Congress. It requires the federal government to balance its budget and limit it to spending only what it takes in each year. President Trump has taken the first step towards fiscal sanity, now it’s time for Congress to take it to the finish line. Once again, thank you for contacting me. I appreciate your concerns and welcome your continued feedback. Please visit my website at perry.house.gov to submit further questions/comments or to sign up for my e-newsletter, Facebook page, and/or Twitter updates. |
| Very Respectfully, |
| Cumberland County 4999 Louise Drive, Suite 205 Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 (717) 550-6565 York County District Office 2501 Catherine Street, Suite 11 York, PA 17408 (717)-893-7868 Dauphin County 800 Corporate Circle, Suite 202 Harrisburg, PA 17110 (717) 603-4980 |
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