A senior official at the U.S. Agency for International Development (U.S.A.I.D.) has sparked controversy by ordering employees to shred or burn classified documents and personnel files. This directive, issued via email by acting executive secretary Erica Y. Carr, has raised alarms among unions and legal observers who argue such actions may violate the Federal Records Act. This act mandates approval from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) before any government records can be destroyed.
In the email, Carr instructed employees to "empty out the classified safe and personnel document files" and laid out a procedure for shredding documents, advising that the burn bags be used only if the shredders were unavailable or needed a break. This order comes at a time when U.S.A.I.D. is undergoing significant staffing reductions, with thousands fired, some placed on paid leave, and a few working remotely.
There is uncertainty whether Carr received NARA's authorization for the destruction of these documents, which may hold relevance to multiple lawsuits that have been filed against the Trump administration and U.S.A.I.D. regarding employee terminations, agency restructuring, and halted foreign aid funding.
The American Foreign Service Association, representing career diplomats and a participant in ongoing litigation, expressed deep concern over the destruction of documents, stating it could critically affect their legal battles concerning the rights and dismissals of U.S.A.I.D. personnel.
Both the State Department and U.S.A.I.D. have not provided comments regarding the incident when reached for clarification. As the agency moves forward amid challenges and restructuring, the implications of this directive could have lasting effects on both internal governance and ongoing legal affairs.
