The Trump administration abruptly removed U.S. Copyright Office head Shira Perlmutter and Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, signaling a broader effort to replace officials seen as resistant to the administration’s goals. Both were dismissed via email, with no prior notice.
Perlmutter had been appointed by Hayden in 2020. Meanwhile, federal prosecutors charged USAID employee Yusuf Akoll with fraud for illegally obtaining $16,666 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Akoll created a fake company, Naagode Consulting LLC, and falsified its founding date and earnings to qualify for pandemic relief. The case underscores significant oversight failures during COVID-19 relief efforts, with agencies often failing to verify key applicant details. USAID was later shut down, its functions merged into the State Department amid concerns over poor financial oversight. The Biden administration, in 2023, announced it would not pursue repayment of PPP loans under $100,000, citing equity concerns, despite many recipients failing to meet forgiveness criteria.
