An email obtained by NBC News has revealed that The US Agency for International Development (USAID) instructed its Washington staff to shred and burn documents in the wake of DOGE intensely investigating the organisation’s activities.
The email originated from Erica Carr, USAID’s acting executive secretary, and thanked workers for their “assistance in clearing our classified safes and personnel documents.”
At a time when USAID's past history is most under the gun and most important to PUBLISH PUBLICLY, what possible benign reason could there be for mass shredding of paper documents, classified safes & personnel info? Why is there no official public communication about the reason? https://t.co/1g6GPtcztL
— Mike Benz (@MikeBenzCyber) March 11, 2025
“Shred as many documents first, and reserve the burn bags for when the shredder becomes unavailable or needs a break,” Carr wrote.
Burn bags. Ooof.
Seems like they’re in quite a hurry to destroy some documents.
So the current Acting Executive Secretary of USAID who ordered the mass shredding and burning of paper files at USAID today worked in the Obama OPM, then Obama USAID, then was personally named USAID Executive Secretary by Joe Biden his first week in office. What's going on here? https://t.co/GjPpibvNAo pic.twitter.com/C3tnx8fIPn
— Mike Benz (@MikeBenzCyber) March 11, 2025
Deputy White House Press Secretary Anna Kelly has described the Politico report as “[m]ore fake news hysteria”, claiming that it’s just a clear out of the now former USAID headquarters and that the documents are all old.
The USAID building will soon be occupied by CBP.
— Anna Kelly (@AnnaKelly47) March 11, 2025
This was sent to roughly three dozen employees. The documents involved were old, mostly courtesy content (content from other agencies), and the originals still exist on classified computer systems.
More fake news hysteria! https://t.co/MLP84Mvn0t
The email instructed staff to label the burn bags with “SECRET” and “USAID/B/IO,” which stands for “bureau or independent office”.
A former USAID staffer noted “I’ve never seen something like this — en masse. Everyone with a safe is supposed to keep it up to date and destroy documents when they no longer need to be stored. Sometimes security will check your safe and tell you if you have to clean out old material.”
A what point does this cross the line from being "political differences" and become a criminal act?
— MW (@mwpotter23) March 11, 2025
After the evidence is destroyed?
Where is the FBI? Aren't they in Washington, DC?
18 USC 1505 and 1519 seem applicable in this situation.
It’s absolutely absurd that they hadn’t raided the offices and taken all of the data and paperwork. They’ve had weeks dispose of things.
— Whiskey Hell News (@Whiskey_Hell) March 11, 2025
Is this illegal activity, or just routine for an agency clearing out?
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Monday that 83 percent of the USAID programs would be cancelled and contracts rescinded.
After a 6 week review we are officially cancelling 83% of the programs at USAID.
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) March 10, 2025
The 5200 contracts that are now cancelled spent tens of billions of dollars in ways that did not serve, (and in some cases even harmed), the core national interests of the United States.
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