A U.S.A.I.D. official's directive to destroy documents amid agency dismantling sparks alarm from diplomats and legal experts.
**U.S.A.I.D. Employees Ordered to Destroy Classified Documents Amidst Agency Disbandment**
**U.S.A.I.D. Employees Ordered to Destroy Classified Documents Amidst Agency Disbandment**
U.S. Agency for International Development staff instructed to shred or burn sensitive materials, raising legal concerns.
In a shocking turn of events, a high-ranking official at the U.S. Agency for International Development (U.S.A.I.D.) has instructed employees to shred or incinerate classified documents and personnel files. This directive, communicated via email by acting executive secretary Erica Y. Carr, comes as the agency faces significant downsizing during the Trump administration.
The email specifically urged staff to clear out classified safes and document files promptly, recommending they first shred as many papers as possible. The instruction advised reserving burn bags for situations where the shredder is unavailable. As U.S.A.I.D. has already terminated thousands of employees and restructured operations, the headquarters are reported to be largely deserted.
Questions are being raised about whether Carr or any other officials secured approval from the National Archives and Records Administration before proceeding with document destruction. Under the Federal Records Act, such permissions are mandated, particularly concerning records that could be pivotal for ongoing court cases against the administration and the agency itself.
Legal actions are currently underway that challenge the mass terminations of U.S.A.I.D. employees, the abrupt cessation of foreign aid funding, and the broader dismantling of the agency’s operations. The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), which represents career diplomats and is involved in ongoing litigation, expressed deep concern over U.S.A.I.D.'s actions, warning that the destruction of potentially pertinent records could severely undermine legal proceedings regarding the agency's recent restructuring.
As the fallout continues, both the State Department and U.S.A.I.D. have declined to offer comments regarding these developments, leaving questions about the legality of document destruction and its implications unresolved.
