President Trump Removes Top Copyright Official Following Leadership Shake-Up at Library of Congress
President Donald Trump continues to take bold steps to restore accountability and proper governance in Washington, removing yet another entrenched official whose leadership was tied to bureaucratic stagnation.
Just days after relieving Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden of her post, the Trump administration dismissed Shira Perlmutter, head of the U.S. Copyright Office—a division within the Library of Congress. According to Fox News, Perlmutter was informed of her immediate termination via email from the White House.
“Your position as the Register of Copyrights and Director at the U.S. Copyright Office is terminated effective immediately,” the email reportedly stated.
Perlmutter had been appointed by Hayden in October 2020. The Associated Press confirmed that both women received their termination notices by email.
“Carla,” began the letter sent to Hayden. “On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as the Librarian of Congress is terminated effective immediately. Thank you for your service.”
These removals are part of a broader administrative effort to replace officials who are resistant to reform and transparency—particularly in agencies with bloated leadership and little oversight.
Meanwhile, a separate case involving the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) illustrates exactly why President Trump’s government efficiency reforms are urgently needed.
Federal prosecutors announced Friday that Yusuf Akoll, a USAID employee who oversaw contracting and procurement, created a fake company to illegally pocket COVID-19 relief funds meant for struggling businesses.
“Yusuf Akoll worked as a Senior Procurement Contract Specialist at the U.S. Agency for International Development,” according to court documents. “From at least in or around March 2021, and continuing through at least in or around August 2021, Akoll [made] materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statements…that resulted in Akoll receiving two [Paycheck Protection Program] loans totaling approximately $16,666 that he was not entitled to receive.”
Akoll fabricated a business named Naagode Consulting LLC in November 2020, falsely backdating its founding to January of that year to qualify for the Paycheck Protection Program. He claimed the company had earned $40,000 in 2019—despite the fact it didn’t even exist at the time.
He was charged in federal court in Washington, D.C., with making false statements, under a filing type known as an “information”—often a sign of an impending plea deal, according to The Daily Wire.
The case shines a spotlight on the systemic failures of the federal government under previous leadership, which rushed to distribute massive COVID-19 relief funds without conducting even the most basic due diligence. SBA officials failed to verify the company’s registration date or cross-check income claims against IRS records.
This “pay and chase” model—where fraudulent payments are made quickly with vague promises of future enforcement—was a hallmark of the Biden-era pandemic response. And unsurprisingly, enforcement never came.
In 2023, the Biden administration admitted it would not attempt to collect loans under $100,000, even if borrowers didn’t meet repayment or forgiveness requirements, citing “equity” concerns.
While conservatives pushed for accountability and reform, left-wing leadership essentially gave fraudsters a free pass—at the expense of hardworking American taxpayers.
Akoll, as a USAID official, had control over substantial taxpayer funds sent overseas—money that was difficult to trace and often ended up in the hands of corrupt foreign actors. That agency, plagued by mismanagement, was dismantled and absorbed by the State Department under the oversight of President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency.
This incident reinforces why Americans demanded a return to constitutional oversight, fiscal discipline, and ethical leadership—all of which are finally being restored under President Trump.