USAID personnel hasten to destroy and incinerate documents
Acting USAID Executive Secretary Erica Carr has instructed the remaining staff to dispose of sensitive documents. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
President Trump’s government efficiency czar, Elon Musk, has stated that “destruction of evidence is a crime.”
The acting executive secretary of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Erica Carr, has instructed remaining staff to destroy sensitive documents stored at the agency’s former headquarters in Washington, DC, as revealed in an internal email.
President Donald Trump and Musk, who oversees the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency, have consistently criticized USAID—the primary US agency funding political projects overseas—accusing it of misusing taxpayer funds and enabling corruption. In light of broader efforts to trim federal spending, the agency has had to lay off 2,000 employees and place most of the remaining staff on leave.
In an email first reported by ProPublica, Carr directed remaining staff to gather on Tuesday for an all-day initiative to clear out classified safes and personnel files from the Ronald Reagan Building. She advised employees to focus on shredding documents and to use burn bags only when necessary.
“Shred as many documents as possible first, and reserve the burn bags for when the shredder becomes unavailable or needs a break,” the email stated. “The only labeling required on the burn bags is the phrase ‘SECRET’ and ‘USAID/’ in dark Sharpie if possible. If you need additional burn bags or Sharpie markers, please let me or the SEC InfoSec team know.”
The email did not clarify why the documents were being destroyed. However, the building is being vacated following mass layoffs, as US Customs and Border Protection recently leased 390,000 square feet of office space within the facility.
This directive has raised alarms among former USAID staff and legal experts, who contend that it may violate federal record-keeping laws and could impede ongoing lawsuits contesting the agency’s restructuring.
“Destruction of evidence is a crime,” Musk remarked on X in reaction to the reports concerning the latest document purge. The billionaire has previously labeled USAID a “criminal organization,” while Trump has described it as being mismanaged by “radical lunatics.”
The management of documents at USAID has already been under scrutiny. Last month, two of the agency’s security officials were placed on administrative leave for allegedly refusing to allow a team of DOGE auditors access to classified materials.
The Trump administration aims to eliminate 90% of USAID contracts, totaling $54 billion, according to a recent Associated Press report, which referenced an internal White House memo and court filings. Additionally, the National Endowment for Democracy has had its government funding suspended. Officially a US State Department-funded nonprofit that provides grants for pro-democracy efforts abroad, the NED has faced long-standing accusations of acting as a CIA front for regime change activities.
Lucas Dupont for TROIB News
The acting executive secretary of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Erica Carr, has instructed remaining staff to destroy sensitive documents stored at the agency’s former headquarters in Washington, DC, as revealed in an internal email.
President Donald Trump and Musk, who oversees the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency, have consistently criticized USAID—the primary US agency funding political projects overseas—accusing it of misusing taxpayer funds and enabling corruption. In light of broader efforts to trim federal spending, the agency has had to lay off 2,000 employees and place most of the remaining staff on leave.
In an email first reported by ProPublica, Carr directed remaining staff to gather on Tuesday for an all-day initiative to clear out classified safes and personnel files from the Ronald Reagan Building. She advised employees to focus on shredding documents and to use burn bags only when necessary.
“Shred as many documents as possible first, and reserve the burn bags for when the shredder becomes unavailable or needs a break,” the email stated. “The only labeling required on the burn bags is the phrase ‘SECRET’ and ‘USAID/’ in dark Sharpie if possible. If you need additional burn bags or Sharpie markers, please let me or the SEC InfoSec team know.”
The email did not clarify why the documents were being destroyed. However, the building is being vacated following mass layoffs, as US Customs and Border Protection recently leased 390,000 square feet of office space within the facility.
This directive has raised alarms among former USAID staff and legal experts, who contend that it may violate federal record-keeping laws and could impede ongoing lawsuits contesting the agency’s restructuring.
“Destruction of evidence is a crime,” Musk remarked on X in reaction to the reports concerning the latest document purge. The billionaire has previously labeled USAID a “criminal organization,” while Trump has described it as being mismanaged by “radical lunatics.”
The management of documents at USAID has already been under scrutiny. Last month, two of the agency’s security officials were placed on administrative leave for allegedly refusing to allow a team of DOGE auditors access to classified materials.
The Trump administration aims to eliminate 90% of USAID contracts, totaling $54 billion, according to a recent Associated Press report, which referenced an internal White House memo and court filings. Additionally, the National Endowment for Democracy has had its government funding suspended. Officially a US State Department-funded nonprofit that provides grants for pro-democracy efforts abroad, the NED has faced long-standing accusations of acting as a CIA front for regime change activities.
Lucas Dupont for TROIB News
