USAid employees told to destroy classified documents, email shows

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Guardian

Tue 11 Mar 2025 13.58 EDT


Officials at the US Agency for International Development (USAid) have begun a large-scale destruction of classified documents at their headquarters in the Ronald Reagan Building including with shredders and using “burn bags”, according to an internal email seen by the Guardian.

The email, sent by Acting USAid Secretary Erica Y Carr, instructs staff on procedures for clearing “classified safes and personnel documents” through shredding and the use of “burn bags” marked “SECRET” throughout the day on Tuesday.

“Shred as many documents first, and reserve the burn bags for when the shredder becomes unavailable or needs a break,” Carr wrote in the email, which provides detailed instructions on how to properly seal and label the burn bags.

The timing of this document purge comes amid ongoing controversy over what is essentially the shuttering of USAid following the Trump administration’s attempts to reshape the independent agency through the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (Doge).

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/11/usaid-staff-documents

[JohnSJ]

1. That is illegal, but who will stop it?

[NotHardly]

10. Yes, who indeed?

[Silent Type]

2. What is the advantage of shredding old documents? I thought they wanted to blame everything on Biden, highlighting

allegations like the aid funds went to condoms, Hamas, or similar BS. I can understand trumpster appointees trying to obstruct discovery of trump crimes, but that does not appear case here.

[KPN]

5. They are wiping history and ability to recreate and restore what once existed. I see it as taking precautionary

steps to ensure that should the rational people among us ever regain power it will be as difficult as possible for us to restore the world order and environment we once as a nation orchestrated. Possibly also so they can't be held accountable in the future for human calamities they might cause by eliminating USAID? Whatever -- they are extremists and this is absolutely extreme.

[Silent Type]

9. Think they are wasting their time. There is plenty of info on aid grants, etc., that one could use in any investigation.

But who knows, nowadays?

[KPN]

3. Shouldn't alarm bells be going off right now across America, and particularly among former and present Democratic

leaders? This is drastic well beyond the norm. Seems like we are basically rolling over and accepting.

I am in a "drastic events require equally drastic action" frame of mind right now. Maybe I need to take a break from what feels like catastrophic news and try to accept that this is out of my control and enjoy what I can of my daily life.

Of course, that is exactly what they want and I know that. So fucking conflicting.

[BumRushDaShow]

4. When the GOP is in collusion

it's basically a coup. What are Democrats to do (and I won't bring up that other "solution" )?

There are the courts and literally over a hundred cases have been filed and more are filed each day (many are not even "making the news" ).

[KPN]

6. Good question. At this point, all we can do is roll over and accept it seems. The courts won't fix this. I'm not sure

2026 or 2028 can fix this. Does anyone really believe we will have free and fair elections going forward? I'm of the mind that believing so in the face of what we are experiencing is probably naive. I don't see how this ends well -- at least not in my lifetime (74 and -- knock on wood - in excellent health right now).

[BumRushDaShow]

7. I think this country has been there before

although not in this bizarre a fashion.

That's is why FDR got elected 4 times. Eventually it gets through to enough lunkheads.

[bluestarone]

8. KPN, i had hope before, but witnessing the last 3 months, i'm scared.

Seems like they got us. What i see happening in 2026 is. no courts to decide if we have midterm elections. Just think if TSF says no elections, and the trumpy states agree with him and decide no elections, WHO is gonna force them too? I hate to even say what needs to happen but there is no other way. I just would like someone to answer the question What if the above scenario happens? Who or what will make the trump states hold their election? Even if Supreme court tells them to. Anybody answer that?