USAID Ordered to Shred Documents According To Recent Court Filing
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has come under fire after an internal directive ordered employees to shred and burn classified documents and personnel files. An email from Acting Executive Secretary Erica Carr instructed staff to dispose of materials, raising concerns that vital records could be lost. Labor unions and lawmakers fear this move violates federal record-keeping laws and may be an attempt to erase evidence amid lawsuits challenging the Trump administration’s dismantling of the agency. “Haphazardly shredding and burning USAID documents and personnel files seems like a great way to get rid of evidence of wrongdoing,” said Rep. Gregory Meeks.
The Trump administration has aggressively cut USAID programs, slashed staff, and frozen funding, all of which have sparked legal challenges. The agency, once a cornerstone of U.S. foreign aid, has seen more than 80% of its contracts canceled, leaving thousands of employees on administrative leave. Billionaire Elon Musk, a vocal critic of USAID, has supported efforts to shut it down, calling it a “criminal organization” without offering specific evidence to prove his statement. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the cuts, stating that many programs “did not serve, and in some cases even harmed, the core national interests of the United States.”
Unions and advocacy groups argue that destroying records could hinder legal cases against the administration’s actions. The American Foreign Service Association warned that improper disposal of federal records “could carry serious legal consequences.” The National Archives and Records Administration has been urged to intervene, while a federal judge recently ruled the administration must pay nearly $2 billion owed to aid groups. Meanwhile, many USAID employees remain in limbo, unsure of their future as the agency's fate hangs in the balance.
