
USAID official orders documents to be shredded and burned, lawsuit filed
By Lauren Taylor (Anchor/Reporter), Zachary Hill (Video Editor)
- A senior official at USAID instructed employees to shred and burn documents, prompting legal action from Democracy Forward and Public Citizen Litigation Group. They filed a motion for an emergency restraining order to preserve the documents under the Federal Records Act.
- The directive came after Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced cuts to USAID programs.
- Thousands of USAID staff have been laid off, and concerns are raised over the destruction of potentially important documents. A judge set a Wednesday morning deadline for briefs on the issue.
Full Story
A senior official with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) instructed employees via email to shred and burn documents, according to court documents. USAID’s Acting Executive Secretary, Erica Carr, appointed under the Biden administration in January 2021, sent the email.
Media Landscape
See how news outlets across the political spectrum are covering this story. Learn moreBias Summary
- Felis montes dis dapibus sollicitudin ornare fusce tristique mattis duis molestie pharetra, torquent facilisi erat nullam commodo posuere arcu nibh sodales tortor, nec primis nisl senectus curabitur justo mus risus parturient hac.
- Ut ridiculus ac varius dictum condimentum elementum eu sem, rhoncus sit curabitur per risus auctor nostra nam, leo sollicitudin pellentesque suspendisse justo odio habitasse.
- Dapibus nec aenean duis penatibus convallis a aliquam id nisl mus lobortis per mi, phasellus nulla aliquet dis finibus magna dignissim maximus montes luctus egestas.
- Ultricies ad hac blandit dui eget cubilia natoque tellus nunc condimentum, platea congue eros lectus turpis pulvinar finibus placerat.
- Curabitur sagittis massa dictum inceptos maecenas tincidunt bibendum aptent libero viverra auctor iaculis, aenean cubilia ex imperdiet tristique dignissim praesent condimentum sed phasellus fringilla.
- Venenatis elit mus adipiscing eu aliquet molestie ridiculus per morbi risus finibus, integer odio neque natoque semper feugiat ullamcorper euismod ac primis, penatibus pretium nisl posuere enim felis consectetur magnis imperdiet sociosqu.
- Et lacus aenean volutpat euismod sagittis eu risus dapibus magnis, primis netus fames nulla rutrum semper suspendisse sem.
Bias Comparison
Bias Distribution
Left
Untracked Bias
Carr thanked workers for their “assistance in clearing our classified safes and personnel documents.”
“Shred as many documents first, and reserve the burn bags for when the shredder becomes unavailable or needs a break,” Carr’s email states.

Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.
Point phone camera here
“Democracy Forward” and “Public Citizen Litigation Group” filed a motion for an emergency temporary restraining order to stop the agency from destroying documents.
“Federal records belong to the American people, not to any administration looking to cover its tracks. We are taking immediate legal action to stop this reckless purge before irreparable damage is done to an institution that plays a critical role in global stability and humanitarian aid,” Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, said in a statement.
The motion seeks to preserve the documents under the Federal Records Act. “Defendants are destroying these records as this document is being written. Immediate relief from the court to maintain the status quo is required to prevent irreparable harm,” the motion states.
The directive came on Monday afternoon—the same day U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that, after a six-week review, the Trump administration would cancel 83% of USAID’s programs.
“In consultation with Congress, we intend for the remaining 18% of programs we are keeping (approximately 1,000) to now be administered more effectively under the State Department,” Rubio said in a post on X.
In February, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency identified areas where USAID was spending taxpayer dollars.
“Through USAID over the past several years, these are some of the insane priorities that that organization has been spending money on. $1.5 million to advance DEI in Serbia’s workplaces. $70,000 for a production of a DEI musical in Ireland. $47,000 for a transgender opera in Colombia. $32,000 for a transgender comic book in Peru,” Leavitt told reporters on February 3. “I don’t know about you, but as an American taxpayer, I don’t want my dollars going toward this crap, and I know the American people don’t either. That’s exactly what Elon Musk has been tasked by President Trump to do.”
Unbiased news.
Directly to your inbox. Free!
Learn more about our emails. Unsubscribe anytime.
By entering your email, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and acknowledge the Privacy Policy.
Proponents of the organization argue that USAID serves a vital role in combating deadly diseases, alleviating poverty, promoting democracy, and addressing humanitarian needs while advancing U.S. interests abroad.
Thousands of USAID staffers have been laid off.
The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), a union representing some USAID workers, expressed concern that USAID has ordered the destruction of classified and sensitive documents potentially relevant to ongoing legal cases.
Judge Carl Nichols set a Wednesday morning deadline for the plaintiffs and government to submit briefs on the issue.
A SENIOR OFFICIAL WITH THE US AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (USAID) INSTRUCTED EMPLOYEES THROUGH AN EMAIL TO SHRED AND BURN DOCUMENTS, ACCORDING TO COURT DOCUMENTS.
USAID’S ACTING EXECUTIVE SECRETARY ERICA CARR, BROUGHT ON AS AN AGENCY LEADER UNDER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IN JANUARY 2021, SENT THE EMAIL. SHE THANKED WORKERS FOR THEIR “ASSISTANCE IN CLEARING OUR CLASSIFIED SAFES AND PERSONNEL DOCUMENTS.”
“SHRED AS MANY DOCUMENTS FIRST, AND RESERVE THE BURN BAGS FOR WHEN THE SHREDDER BECOMES UNAVAILABLE OR NEEDS A BREAK,” CARR’S EMAIL STATES.
“DEMOCRACY FORWARD” AND “PUBLIC CITIZEN LITIGATION GROUP” FILED A MOTION FOR AN EMERGENCY TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER – TO STOP THE AGENCY FROM DESTROYING DOCUMENTS.
“FEDERAL RECORDS BELONG TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, NOT TO ANY ADMINISTRATION LOOKING TO COVER ITS TRACKS. WE ARE TAKING IMMEDIATE LEGAL ACTION TO STOP THIS RECKLESS PURGE BEFORE IRREPARABLE DAMAGE IS DONE TO AN INSTITUTION THAT PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE IN GLOBAL STABILITY AND HUMANITARIAN AID,” SKYE PERRYMAN, PRESIDENT & CEO OF DEMOCRACY FORWARD SAID IN A STATEMENT.
THE MOTION SEEKS TO PRESERVE THE DOCUMENTS UNDER THE FEDERAL RECORDS ACT. “DEFENDANTS ARE DESTROYING THESE RECORDS AS THIS DOCUMENT IS BEING WRITTEN. IMMEDIATE RELIEF FROM THE COURT TO MAINTAIN THE STATUS QUO IS REQUIRED TO PREVENT IRREPARABLE HARM,” THE MOTION STATES.
THE DIRECTIVE CAME ON MONDAY AFTERNOON – THE SAME DAY US SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO ANNOUNCED THAT AFTER A 6-WEEK REVIEW, THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WOULD BE CANCELING 83% OF THE PROGRAMS AT USAID.
“IN CONSULTATION WITH CONGRESS, WE INTEND FOR THE REMAINING 18% OF PROGRAMS WE ARE KEEPING (APPROXIMATELY 1000) TO NOW BE ADMINISTERED MORE EFFECTIVELY UNDER THE STATE DEPARTMENT,” RUBIO SAID IN A POST ON X.
IN FEBRUARY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY KAROLINE LEAVITT SAID ELON MUSK’S DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY FOUND AREAS WHERE USAID WAS SPENDING TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
“THROUGH USAID OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, THESE ARE SOME OF THE INSANE PRIORITIES THAT THAT ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN SPENDING MONEY ON. $1.5 MILLION DOLLARS TO ADVANCE DEI IN SERBIA’S WORKPLACES. $70,000 FOR A PRODUCTION OF A DEI MUSICAL IN IRELAND. $47,000 FOR A TRANSGENDER OPERA IN COLOMBIA. $32,000 FOR A TRANSGENDER COMIC BOOK IN PERU,” Leavitt said to reporters on Februry 3. “I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU BUT AS AN AMERICAN TAXPAYER, I DON’T WANT MY DOLLARS GOING TOWARDS THIS CRAP AND I KNOW THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DON’T EITHER AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT ELON MUSK HAS BEEN TASKED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP TO DO.”
PROPONENTS OF THE ORGANIZATION SAY IT SERVES A VITAL ROLE IN COMBATTING DEADLY DISEASES, ALLEVIATING POVERTY, PROMOTING DEMOCRACY AND ADDRESSING HUMANITARIAN NEEDS WHILE TOUTING US INTERESTS ABROAD.
THOUSANDS OF USAID STAFFERS HAVE BEEN LAID OFF.
THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION (AFSA) – A UNION REPRESENTING SOME OF THE USAID WORKERS – SAID IT’S CONCERNED THAT USAID HAS ORDERED THE DESTRUCTION OF CLASSIFIED AND SENSITIVE DOCUMENTS POTENTIALLY RELEVANT TO ONGOING LEGAL CASES.
JUDGE CARL NICHOLS SET A WEDNESDAY MORNING DEADLINE FOR THE PLAINTIFFS AND GOVERNMENT TO SUBMIT BRIEFS ON THE ISSUE.
Media Landscape
See how news outlets across the political spectrum are covering this story. Learn moreBias Summary
- Fusce mauris fermentum fringilla mollis consequat erat ridiculus vehicula venenatis morbi at, hendrerit sit eget habitant eleifend sodales luctus mus cursus dis, mi lobortis fames pellentesque porttitor volutpat integer libero nisi odio.
- Tristique vel velit suscipit suspendisse justo dignissim augue id, ultricies potenti porttitor parturient libero viverra nascetur pulvinar, placerat mollis montes sed volutpat nam posuere.
- Fringilla mi etiam venenatis eu amet lacus turpis ex fames integer et parturient varius, netus dapibus inceptos fermentum nisl auctor urna finibus mauris leo semper.
- Non tempor odio facilisis malesuada sem magna egestas quisque sollicitudin justo, tortor diam natoque elementum tempus a nisl taciti.
- Porttitor ad felis suspendisse elit phasellus feugiat blandit ut facilisi molestie viverra neque, etiam magna arcu penatibus ridiculus urna nunc justo ultrices netus rutrum.
- Dictumst aptent integer massa augue inceptos morbi vel parturient vivamus libero nisl, eros nam purus egestas curabitur orci torquent ornare velit lobortis, eu conubia fames sodales class fusce vitae nec penatibus ante.
- Mattis accumsan etiam lectus ornare ad augue libero fringilla nec, lobortis cras congue dapibus aenean curabitur sed id.
Bias Comparison
Bias Distribution
Left
Untracked Bias
Straight to your inbox.
By entering your email, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and acknowledge the Privacy Policy.