USAID official orders staff to destroy classified documents

Staff at USAID were ordered to destroy classified documents and personnel records, according to a memo from a top official.

The directive has prompted a fresh legal challenge and raised concerns from the union representing foreign service officers.

The memo signed by USAID Acting Executive Secretary Erica Carr, seen by Bloomberg News, instructed staff to “shred as many documents first, and reserve the burn bags for when the shredder becomes unavailable or needs a break,” Caliber.Az reports. 

The order, issued on March 10, coincided with Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s decision to cancel most USAID contracts and place the remaining operations under State Department control—effectively dismantling the agency.

The move follows the Trump administration’s broader efforts to cut U.S. foreign aid and terminate most of USAID’s 10,000 employees. Thousands have already been fired or placed on leave.

The directive has prompted an emergency legal motion from lawyers representing USAID contractors, seeking a court order to preserve documents that could be relevant to ongoing litigation over the agency’s dissolution.

The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), which represents State Department and USAID employees, expressed alarm over the order. In a statement, the group emphasized that the documents may be crucial to lawsuits concerning the termination of USAID personnel and the cessation of grants.

“Federal law is clear: the preservation of government records is essential to transparency, accountability, and the integrity of the legal process,” AFSA said.

The destruction of government records is governed by the Federal Records Act of 1950, which imposes strict regulations on document retention and disposal.

By Khagan Isayev