In a breaking post to social media, prominent conservative Libs of TikTok revealed that USAID Official Roderick Watson has pleaded guilty to bribery in an unprecedented case. Watson, along with three other people, was involved in a massive $550 million corruption scheme where the official was plied with lavish bribes to award contracts to his benefactors.
For context, USAID has been in the news since President Donald Trump established the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to combat fraud, waste, and corruption. One of DOGE’s most brutal fights was their effort to shut down USAID and hold those responsible accountable for their actions.
Such was shown in Libs of TikTok’s June 13, 2025, post to X, formerly Twitter, where she broke the story. Announcing the scandal, she stated, “BREAKING: USAID official and 3 company executives plead guilty in fraud and bribery scheme involving at least 14 contracts worth over $550 million.”
Continuing her exposé, she stated, “USAID Official Roderick Watson took bribes, was showered with lavish gifts— including cash, laptops, thousands of dollars in tickets to a suite at an NBA game, a country club wedding, downpayments on two residential mortgages, cell phones, and jobs for relatives.”
Concluding her post, she explained, “In exchange for the bribe payments, Watson influenced the award of contracts by manipulating the procurement process at USAID. Watson faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Imagine how much more fraud there is…”
Reacting to her viral post, Elon Musk, the former head of DOGE, laconically said, “This is just the tip of the iceberg.” In the comments under his reaction, conservatives left hundreds of responses to the shocking crimes of Watson and USAID.
One such comment read, “Thus so much resistance to DOGE. The criminals are being exposed. So many evil people will face legal accountability if DOGE continues their work with ferocity.” Building on this point, another user noted, “What blows my mind is not the corruption , that’s normal.. it’s the astronomical amounts we are talking about.”
Expressing a common sentiment, one woman wrote, “I’m only surprised that the justice system went after them. Seems like people have been getting away from this for so long it’s a novelty when they are brought to account.”
Hoping for more convictions, one conservative said, “This is a start. I can’t even [fathom] the number of people that will be pleading guilty to the fraud and or crimes they committed. You and DOGE have done an incredible job and there really aren’t enough words to thank you for what you uncovered and accomplished.”
Rounding out the comments, many users thanked Musk for his contribution to America, such as one comment which said, “Elon’s right—this is probably just the tip of the iceberg. If one official can pull this off, imagine how deep the rot goes in other agencies or contracts. The web’s buzzing with chatter about government waste and fraud, and posts on X are screaming for audits and accountability. Makes you wonder how many more Watsons are out there, gaming the system. Time to drain the swamp and shine a light on every shady deal.”
