(VitalNews.org) – At a time when the agency is facing its complete dismantling, USAID employees have been ordered to shred and burn classified documents.
The sudden directive to destroy sensitive records comes as the Trump administration shuts down the agency that spent billions in taxpayer money on foreign aid with questionable returns for Americans.
Acting USAID executive secretary Erica Carr sent an email instructing staff to clear out classified safes and destroy personnel documents through shredding or incineration.
Former State Department official Mike Benz explained that Joe Biden appointed Carr during his first week in office.
The directive provided specific instructions on handling burn bags, emphasizing that staff should “shred as many documents first, and reserve the burn bags for when the shredder becomes unavailable or needs a break.”
This document purge comes as Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that 83% of USAID programs have been canceled.
Rubio stated that these terminated contracts “had not served the national interests of the United States.”
The agency, which once managed a bloated $40 billion budget with over 10,000 staff, has been targeted by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to eliminate wasteful spending.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly addressed the document destruction.
She said the materials were merely “old, mostly courtesy content (content from other agencies), and the originals still exist on classified computer systems.”
Kelly added that the USAID headquarters building “will soon be occupied by CBP,” suggesting the document destruction is part of normal transition procedures.
However, liberal watchdog groups are not buying the official explanation.
Democracy Forward and Public Citizen Litigation Group have filed emergency motions to halt the destruction, claiming non-compliance with federal record-keeping requirements.
A former USAID staffer described the document destruction as unprecedented, underscoring just how unusual this directive is compared to normal government procedures.
The federal records in question could potentially reveal wasteful spending and failed policies that American taxpayers have been funding for years without their knowledge.
The downsizing of USAID represents a significant victory for the Trump administration’s commitment to putting America first and cutting bloated foreign aid programs that deliver minimal benefit to American citizens.
While leftist organizations scramble to prevent document destruction through legal challenges, the administration maintains that the actions comply with the Federal Records Act.
This dramatic dismantling of a cornerstone agency of the foreign aid establishment signals President Donald Trump’s serious commitment to draining the swamp and redirecting resources to border security and domestic priorities.
With U.S. Customs and Border Protection set to take over the former USAID building, Americans can see a clear shift from funding foreign interests to protecting the nation’s borders.
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