Middle East Forum executive director Gregg Roman reveals in interview with Ynetnews that U.S. taxpayer money was being funneled to organizations with ties to Hamas, Al-Qaeda and other terror groups; following his testimony, congressional lawmakers have begun pushing for immediate action. The transcript is below:
Gregg Roman: The Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE) committee has been peeling back the onion on various instances of fraud, waste, and abuse in U.S. budgetary spending. Last week’s hearing specifically focused on how that fraud has led to national security implications for the U.S. government and its allies, like Israel.
Ynet News: The data you presented to Congress about the massive aid sent during the war to Gaza and Hamas is shocking. Can you share this data with us?
Gregg Roman: Sure, 100%. There are really two parts to it. First, there’s the money that went to Hamas-affiliated organizations and areas under Hamas control after October 7th. But there’s also a second set of data that goes back 15 years to the Obama administration, where USAID and other elements of the State Department and U.S. government funded radical organizations—over $122 million to groups with direct ties to terrorist organizations like Hamas, but also Hezbollah, Al-Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and others listed on the U.S. designated terrorist organizations list.
Ynet News: So, in fact, U.S. taxpayer money has funded terrorists in Al-Qaeda, Somalia, and Gaza—against Israel?
Gregg Roman: Against Israel and against the United States. It would be like the U.S. government subsidizing Nazi Germany with the Marshall Plan before Hitler fell. It’s unconscionable, and it needs to be dealt with immediately—which is why the hearing was held.
Ynet News: How did you and your team at the Middle East Forum uncover this information? Because we know that, for a long time, you tried to obtain this information but were blocked.
Gregg Roman: Right. We filed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests with the U.S. government, and in one instance, we’re still facing delays—even though the Trump administration had promised to provide that information as soon as possible. More than anything, we’ve had to file six lawsuits against the U.S. government to obtain this information. Gradually, month after month, year after year, we were able to piece it together.
Even in my own experience as a former non-commissioned officer and coordinator of government activities in the territories, when I served in the Israeli Army and the Ministry of Defense, we faced the same issue from the Israeli side. We sought answers about why certain administrations were subsidizing terror-linked groups, but they refused to explain, using political pressure to force allies to allow the money to go through.
Ynet News: Gregg, we were shocked by this information. How have lawmakers and congressmen at the hearing responded to your testimony?
Gregg Roman: It has prompted immediate action from both the executive branch and Congress. They are not only working to stop this type of funding but also seeking to hold those responsible accountable—potentially through civil actions and even criminal indictments.
We also see a push to place these recipient organizations on a “do not support” list, especially if they have connections to terrorist groups. This falls under what’s called secondary sanctions in U.S. sanctions terminology.
Ynet News: And would you say there’s a push for lasting change in policy?
Gregg Roman: Yes. Lawmakers are working to codify this into U.S. law so that it’s not just an administrative action—it becomes permanent.
Ynet News: Gregg Roman, Executive Director of the Middle East Forum, thank you for your work and for this interview.
Gregg Roman: Thank you very much.
