Staff Reports
John Sopko, who served as the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, has joined the ranks of recently ousted inspectors general following the latest shakeup in the Trump administration. Hailed as a champion of transparency in government oversight, Sopko’s tenure was defined by his relentless pursuit of waste, fraud, and abuse. He gained notoriety for returning $4 billion to American taxpayers and securing over 150 indictments—hardly the type of record that would normally earn a pink slip.
Known for his willingness to take on powerful interests, Sopko earned the title of “the Donald Trump of Inspectors General.” This moniker didn’t come without its fair share of drama, as he often faced backlash from establishment figures in Congress and various federal agencies. Reportedly, one of his crimes in the eyes of the swamp’s inhabitants was diligently auditing the Pentagon, the State Department, and USAID, resulting in the discovery of rampant wastefulness.
Sopko painted a stark picture of U.S. spending in Afghanistan. With the price tag reaching over $143 billion, it was revealed that a staggering 30%, or approximately $43 billion, was likely lost to inefficiency and corruption. His audits exposed a so-called “development complex,” suggesting that contractors were reaping rewards much larger than the benefits of their efforts to rebuild a war-torn nation.
Fired: SIGAR John Sopko, 'The Donald Trump of inspectors general’ https://t.co/vQsi0OO6uN
— John Solomon (@jsolomonReports) February 9, 2025
A particularly telling case involved the procurement of military planes that ended up as abandoned relics, lifelessly parked at Kabul International Airport. Sopko highlighted the absurdity of U.S. tax money being squandered on aircraft that were unsuited for Afghan conditions and lacked the necessary support to function. This oversight ultimately led to a half-billion-dollar investment being reduced to a measly $32,000 when the planes were sold for scrap. Such conclusions naturally raised the question of who benefited from this mismanagement, a topic Sopko tackled with candor despite the ensuing fallout.
As the U.S. reduces its footprint in Afghanistan, Sopko’s agency opted to close its doors earlier than scheduled, marking a rare decision by a federal agency to voluntarily cease operations rather than cling to job preservation. His dismissal raises eyebrows, particularly since turnover among inspectors general is par for the course for new administrations. However, the decision to dismiss Sopko, a man who was serving the public by curbing government waste, indicates a worrying trend about the establishment’s tolerance for accountability.
