USAID staff ordered to burn documents

Erica Carr, active executive director for USAID, reportedly sent out an email to the remaining USAID staff. The email called for the staff to convene at the former USAID headquarters to conduct a major document destruction operation. The email instructed them to have burn bags ready in case the shredders either needed a break or were not available.

From Politico:

A senior official at USAID instructed the agency’s remaining staff to convene at the agency’s now-former headquarters in Washington on Tuesday for an “all day” group effort to destroy documents stored there, many of which contain sensitive information.

The materials earmarked for destruction include contents of the agency’s “classified safes and personnel documents” at the Ronald Reagan Building, said an email sent by USAID’s acting executive director, Erica Carr, and obtained by POLITICO.

“Shred as many documents first, and reserve the burn bags for when the shredder becomes unavailable or needs a break,” the email said. Carr instructed staff to label the burn bags with the words “SECRET” and “USAID/B/IO/” (agency shorthand for “bureau or independent office”) in dark Sharpie.

The email didn’t provide any reason for the document destruction. The building is being emptied out after mass layoffs, which may have disrupted routine document destruction timetables. Customs and Border Protection is planning to move into the USAID facility, having rented 390,000 square feet of office space in the building last month.

The effort also underscores the tumultuous way in which the Trump administration is dismantling an agency that once managed a $40 billion annual budget and had more than 10,000 staff around the world.

Additional Reading:

Kine, P., & Toosi, N. (2025, March 11). USAID official tells remaining staffers: Shred and burn all your documents. Politico. Link.

Category: DOGE, Government Incompetence, Society