USAID employees ordered to destroy classified and personal documents
Photo: The documents could be related to a lawsuit concerning dismissals (Getty Images)
Following a memo from a senior official, employees of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) have been instructed to destroy classified documents and personal files. This has prompted a new lawsuit and raised concerns from the union representing Foreign Service workers, according to Bloomberg and CNN.
“Shred as many documents first, and reserve the burn bags for when the shredder becomes unavailable or needs a break,” says the memo copy.
The document was signed by acting USAID Executive Secretary Erika Carr.
The US Department of State, which oversees USAID, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. In response to the release of the directive, lawyers representing USAID contractors in an ongoing lawsuit filed an emergency motion for a court order requiring the government "to preserve all documents with any possible relevance to pending litigation."
The lawyers stated they had already contacted the Department of Justice for clarification but had not received a response.
Carr issued the order on Monday, the same day that Secretary of State Marco Rubio officially canceled most of USAID's contracts and transferred the remaining ones under the State Department’s jurisdiction.
This move effectively dismantles USAID as a separate entity. It follows broader efforts by the Trump administration to reduce U.S. foreign aid spending and eliminate most of the agency's 10,000 employees, many of whom were laid off or furloughed.
The American Foreign Service Association, a group representing State Department and USAID employees involved in the legal challenge against the Trump administration, has expressed concern over the directive. In a statement, the group stated that the documents “may be relevant to ongoing litigation regarding the termination of USAID employees and the cessation of USAID grants.”
“Federal law is clear: the preservation of government records is essential to transparency, accountability, and the integrity of the legal process,” the group said.
It was recently reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that after a review, the US government had decided to cancel 83% of USAID programs, including the termination of 5,200 contracts.
