In yet another alarming display of Biden-era bureaucratic rot, the Department of Justice and the IRS have uncovered a stunning bribery scandal within USAID, one of Washington’s most bloated and unaccountable agencies. Four corrupt officials, including USAID contracting officer Roderick Watson and businessman Walter Barnes, have been indicted for orchestrating a multi-million-dollar pay-to-play scheme that funneled over half a billion dollars in federal contracts through the back door.
Watson, a classic D.C. swamp creature, reportedly took over \$1 million in bribes—including stacks of cash, NBA tickets, and even a ritzy country club wedding—in exchange for steering contracts to favored companies. This wasn’t some slip-up. It was a systematic betrayal of the American taxpayer, all under the guise of “foreign aid” and “small business development.”
Let’s be clear: this wasn’t just a few bad actors. This scandal exposes a much deeper culture of corruption in the federal contracting world—especially in agencies like USAID, which have long served as playgrounds for well-connected elites to enrich themselves while pretending to “uplift” disadvantaged communities abroad.
Sean Bottary, the Acting Assistant Inspector General for Investigations at USAID, tried to sound tough in the wake of the scandal, declaring, “Corruption in government programs will not be tolerated.” But where was this vigilance while Watson and his cronies were cutting sweetheart deals and cashing in? The only reason this came to light is because the scope of the fraud became too massive to ignore.
Guy Ficco, Chief of IRS Criminal Investigations, revealed the staggering reach of the corruption. Watson helped private contractors skirt the competitive bidding process to secure *over \$550 million* in federal contracts. In return, he was showered with gifts and kickbacks. This wasn’t just unethical—it was outright criminal.
Matthew R. Galeotti, who leads the DOJ’s Criminal Division, didn’t hold back either. “Anybody who cares about good and effective government should be concerned,” he said, calling the scheme a blatant “violation of the public trust.”
And the rot doesn’t stop there.
Kelly Loeffler, the newly appointed SBA Administrator, dropped a bombshell: fraud of this magnitude is **not** a one-off at USAID. “The amount of fraud within USAID is a damning reflection of systemic failures,” she said. “The case of Roderick Watson was not an isolated incident.”
Loeffler has vowed to clean house, launching a full-scale audit of the SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program—a program that was designed to support small and minority-owned businesses but has been co-opted by corrupt insiders looking to cash in.
“Taxpayers deserve better,” Loeffler said bluntly. “We’re going to stop the backroom deals, hold bad actors accountable, and start rewarding merit—not manipulation.”
Bottom line: This scandal is just the latest example of what happens when leftist bureaucrats are given unchecked power and piles of taxpayer money to play with. While Americans struggle with inflation, broken borders, and rising crime, D.C. insiders are getting rich off corruption.
It’s time to drain the swamp—for good.
