Dr. Mark Moyar on USAID Corruption and Bureaucratic Deceit

Experiences at USAID

• 💡 Dr. Mark Moyar joined USAID in 2018 as a Trump appointee and encountered a "left-wing indoctrination" exercise on his first day, signaling issues within the agency.
• ⚠️ He witnessed bureaucratic deceit and sabotage, including attempts to hide US aid activities in Syria from President Trump's awareness.
• 🎯 A key issue was political appointees prioritizing getting along with career bureaucrats over the president's agenda, often to pad their resumes.

Reporting Corruption and Retaliation

• 🚨 Moyar reported a subordinate for corruption, who was using his position for a company he chaired, but faced retaliation instead of action.
• 🚫 The individual was moved to the Department of Defense as a senior official despite evidence of corruption, while Moyar was accused of publishing classified information.
• 🕵️‍♂️ Attempts to seek recourse through the Inspector General were met with phony investigations that absolved the agencies, revealing the IG's role in cover-ups.

Bureaucratic Structure and Influence

• ⚖️ The professional political class within the State Department and USAID operates independently of political direction, acting as a self-serving entity.
• 📉 With only about 100 political appointees for 10,000 employees, it's difficult for appointees to oversee career bureaucrats effectively.
• 🤝 Bureaucrats are well-connected within and outside the agency, often filling positions with individuals aligned with Democratic ideologies, as seen at USIP.

The Aid Industrial Complex

• 🔄 A "revolving door" exists between organizations like the Open Society Foundations and government agencies like USAID and the State Department, creating a deliberate career path.
• 💰 Corruption is rampant, with USAID officials steering contracts to companies and then taking high-paying executive jobs at those companies afterward.
• 💸 In contrast to Obama appointees securing jobs in the aid sector after leaving office, Trump appointees who tried to cut waste were largely unable to find similar positions.

Misaligned Foreign Aid Priorities

• 🌍 Moyar's wife, with a PhD in international development, heard from colleagues in Africa and the Middle East who desired basic development like clean water and medical facilities, not social programs like transgender elementary school curriculum.
• 🚩 The Republican party's stance on foreign aid has shifted due to USAID pushing far-left agendas, including DEI and transgender programs, straying from its mission.
• 🚫 Programs are being cut, and there's a concern that Democrats will resurrect these agendas if they return to power, driven by rigid ideologies like abortion and DEI.

Personal and Professional Aftermath

• 🔒 Moyar faced retaliation, including the suspension of his security clearance, a tactic used to hinder career progression.
• 🎓 Despite challenges, he found a position at Hillsdale College, a rare institution willing to hire conservatives.
• 🗣️ He continues to advocate for changes, particularly regarding Inspectors General, proposing reforms like separating them from their agencies and changing oversight committees.

Re-evaluating History and Policy

• ⚔️ Moyar is working on a trilogy about the Vietnam War to counter left-wing narratives that discredit American history and nationalism.
• 🇺🇸 He aims to correct the historical record, arguing that the US should have fought communists and that the war's failure was due to not fighting it correctly.
• 🎯 This approach mirrors efforts like the 1776 Project, which counters the 1619 Project by presenting a more positive view of American history and founding principles.