{"id":2412655,"date":"2025-03-11T22:24:02","date_gmt":"2025-03-12T02:24:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/court-steps-in-as-usaid-workers-ordered-to-shred-or-burn-documents-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-03-11T22:25:50","modified_gmt":"2025-03-12T02:25:50","slug":"court-steps-in-as-usaid-workers-ordered-to-shred-or-burn-documents-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/court-steps-in-as-usaid-workers-ordered-to-shred-or-burn-documents-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Court steps in as USAID workers ordered to shred or burn documents &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcourt-steps-in-as-usaid-workers-ordered-to-shred-or-burn-documents-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2412655&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A\u2062 recent\u2064 directive \u2064from a senior official at \u200dthe\u2062 U.S. Agency\u2063 for International Development (USAID) ordered \u200bemployees to destroy classified documents at the\u2062 agency&#8217;s former headquarters in\u2063 Washington, prompting legal action. The email,sent \u2063by \u200c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/environmentalists-give-in-to-anti-semitic-pressure-campaign-cancel-israel-trip\/\" title=\"Environmentalists Give in to Anti...Semitic Pressure Campaign, Cancel Israel Trip\">acting executive director<\/a> Erica Carr,instructed staff to \u2064shred documents and \u2063use burn bags \u200cfor additional materials marked as &#8220;SECRET&#8221; when shredders were unavailable.The directive has raised\u2063 concerns among unions representing USAID workers, who argue \u2062that\u200d it could compromise\u2063 vital information needed for the \u2063agency&#8217;s future operations. \u200bA federal judge is being asked to intervene to\u200b prevent the destruction of\u200c records,arguing that it could \u2063hinder the \u200cagency&#8217;s functionality\u200b if legal rulings \u200bfavor\u2063 the \u2064workers. The White house, though, has downplayed the situation as &#8220;fake news,&#8221; asserting \u2064that the documents in\u200c question are \u200doutdated and duplicate records \u200bavailable in \u200dclassified systems. This action follows critically important organizational changes at USAID, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/economy-again-beats-expectations-with-311000-jobs-in-february-unemployment-rises-to-3-6\/\" title=\"Economy again beats expectations with 311,000 jobs in February, unemployment rises to 3.6%\">including mass layoffs<\/a> and the cancellation of <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">numerous foreign \u2064aid contracts initiated<\/a> \u2062by the\u2063 trump management. Rep. Gregory Meeks criticized the document \u200bdestruction as potentially unlawful and a means \u200dto eliminate evidence related to agency dismantlement.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Court steps in after USAID employees ordered to shred or burn classified documents<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2036180\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>A senior official at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/usaid\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)\">the U.S. Agency for International Development<\/a> ordered the agency&rsquo;s remaining employees to destroy internal documents at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3308367\/what-to-know-musk-weekend-efforts-suffocate-usaid\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"now-former headquarters\">now-former headquarters<\/a> in Washington on Tuesday, according to an email sent to staff, setting off a legal challenge on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>Employees were instructed to destroy items in the agency&rsquo;s &ldquo;classified safes and personnel documents&rdquo; on Tuesday at the Ronald Reagan Building, according to an email sent by the agency&rsquo;s acting executive director, Erica Carr, which was obtained by the <em>Washington Examiner.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3344541\/eagles-accept-white-house-invitation-super-bowl-win\/\">Eagles accept White House invitation after Super Bowl win<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3344284\/trump-says-doesnt-see-recession-stock-market\/\">Trump says he doesn&#8217;t see a recession &#8216;at all&#8217; after stock market rattle<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3344277\/mass-layoffs-expected-department-of-education\/\">Mass layoffs ordered at Department of Education<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;Shred as many documents first, and reserve the burn bags for when the shredder becomes unavailable or needs a break,&rdquo; the email said. Carr instructed staff to label the burn bags with the words &ldquo;SECRET&rdquo; and &ldquo;USAID\/B\/IO\/,&rdquo; which is an agency abbreviation for &ldquo;bureau or independent office.&rdquo; The email didn&rsquo;t provide any reason for the document destruction.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Following news of the email, unions representing USAID workers and federal employees asked a judge to intervene in any destruction of classified documents. The American Federation of Government Employees and American Foreign Service Association allege that Trump overstepped his authority by shuttering the independent agency established by Congress.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The plaintiffs asked U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols for a temporary restraining order to block the destruction of records and argued that the loss of vital information could prevent USAID from resuming operations if they prevail in the case. Nichols set a Wednesday morning deadline for both sides to submit a status report.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>White House Deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said the email was sent to &ldquo;roughly three dozen employees&rdquo; and downplayed the coverage of the burn orders as &ldquo;more fake news hysteria.&rdquo; U.S. Customs and Border Protection is planning to move into the USAID facility.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The USAID building will soon be occupied by CBP.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>More fake news hysteria! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/MLP84Mvn0t\">https:\/\/t.co\/MLP84Mvn0t<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Anna Kelly (@AnnaKelly47) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AnnaKelly47\/status\/1899596521558945988?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 11, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>    <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The USAID building will soon be occupied by CBP. 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,&rdquo; she wrote in a post on <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AnnaKelly47\/status\/1899596521558945988\">X<\/a>. &ldquo;More fake news hysteria!&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In a separate case, a federal judge <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3343639\/judge-gives-trump-deadline-2-billion-dollar-usaid-cuts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"ruled\">ruled<\/a> on Monday that the Trump administration cannot refuse to spend foreign aid appropriated by Congress. However, Judge Amir H. Ali stopped short of ordering Trump officials to restore the canceled contracts.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The agency has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/3339637\/judge-wont-block-trump-mass-termination-usaid-contractors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">terminated<\/a> thousands of employees and contracts, leaving only a few hundred staffers on the job and shutting down the agency&rsquo;s headquarters. This comes after the Trump administration canceled 83% of U.S. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-blocks-trump-from-axing-foreign-aid-contracts-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"... blocks Trump from axing foreign aid contracts ... ...\">foreign aid contracts<\/a> on Monday.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;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,&rdquo; Secretary of State Marco Rubio <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/marcorubio\/status\/1899021361797816325?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">wrote<\/a> on X early Monday morning.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3343639\/judge-gives-trump-deadline-2-billion-dollar-usaid-cuts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"JUDGE GIVES TRUMP DEADLINE FOR PROGRESS ON RETURNING $2 BILLION IN USAID CUTS\">JUDGE GIVES TRUMP DEADLINE FOR PROGRESS ON RETURNING $2 BILLION IN USAID CUTS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said it appears the Trump administration has not been complying with the Federal Records Act.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Haphazardly shredding and burning USAID documents and personnel files seems like a great way to get rid of evidence of wrongdoing when you&rsquo;re illegally dismantling the agency,&rdquo; Meeks said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>According to an aide, Democratic staff on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has also reached out to USAID and the State Department for more information about how they are complying with the records laws.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_2036180\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"2036180\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Court intervenes after USAID staff told to destroy classified documents<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2657,"featured_media":2412656,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/USAID-PROTEST-scaled-1024x683.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4733,5407,32142,16381],"class_list":["post-2412655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-court","tag-documents","tag-legal-action","tag-usaid"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/USAID-PROTEST-scaled-1024x683.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2412655","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2657"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2412655"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2412655\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2412659,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2412655\/revisions\/2412659"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2412656"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2412655"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2412655"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2412655"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}