WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) instructed staff members to shred and incinerate internal documents this week, raising concerns from lawmakers and interest groups about the destruction of sensitive records in the wake of the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the agency.
In an internal email that NBC News and The Washington Post have obtained, USAID Acting Executive Secretary Erica Carr directed Washington staff to incinerate classified and personnel documents housed in agency safes. The order alarmed Capitol Hill, which claims it could be a violation of federal records preservation laws.
The order of destruction comes after the Trump administration’s forceful attempts to close down USAID, such as canceling contracts, laying off over 1,600 employees, and putting almost all of its 10,000-member staff on administrative leave. The State Department confirmed that USAID’s headquarters in the Ronald Reagan Building will be reconfigured for Customs and Border Protection.
An official with the administration explained to NBC News that the records being destroyed were “courtesy content” and not related to active litigation. A legal motion submitted Tuesday by government worker unions and advocacy organizations, including Oxfam America, requested an emergency stop to the destruction of documents, citing that critical records would be lost.
Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), a House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member, was critical of the action. “Shredding and incinerating USAID records and personnel files at random appears to be a fine way to dispose of proof of misconduct when illegally dismantling the agency,” Meeks stated.
A federal judge on Monday ordered the administration to pay almost $2 billion it owes to aid groups under some contracts but did not enjoin other reductions. A joint status report submitted Tuesday evening stated that the government had agreed to hold off on further document destruction pending notice.
