Shred alert USAID staff members were told to shred and burn classified and personnel documents <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POiKRGbNY2OKC42jxnUn9zvqRZlTOTo-cLzOSVVuyQjg3azOuZE0f1l6AjLkMTjAklQNXjJah6qayVz_36rlpShf0tSyjgy2mHodZ8NY4zIixga6IpZQmlAL4cBZDQx-stuD84hPwsRUMmA26XKYT1VgM80rRlyoppTV1eXHAENKf7v8petxk-7TKjdDA-KjKwqHHPfqcs5O2QWaUhDZmNkWYsjegp4IW516kflqCJjlpxjjWglTpxhcqY4XndyWaOQ==/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZKQHBsgoAt720Y8rbf4YLAF74wsjXHs5kMA0yv5KZJIQGxwYednFaMHCLY7pz-B_zlH9BEPo=> at the agency’s former headquarters in Washington, D.C. yesterday — an order raising legal red flags. The American Foreign Service Association warns *this could violate federal records laws*, especially amid lawsuits over USAID’s dismantling. “*Shred as many documents first*, and reserve the burn bags for when the shredder becomes unavailable or needs a break,” wrote Erica Y. Carr, acting executive secretary at USAID, in an email obtained by Devex. Staff members were told to label burn bags “SECRET” and “USAID/B/IO” in Sharpie markers. Democracy Forward and Public Citizen Litigation Group promptly filed a motion <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZKQHBsuc0TThZjwJJZSYRfVH18tMA40vbeBFaLBlypiUAQs9WuPtiLjYeM-Fph5cxk4gnDTM=> for an emergency temporary restraining order to stop the destruction of federal records. “The mass destruction of federal records is not just unlawful—it’s *a blatant and calculated attempt to obstruct accountability* and cripple the ability to restore USAID’s vital mission as we pursue every legal option,” said Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, in a statement <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZKQHBsgHq8XNAbFfWaJW4b757IIimbSH3BUTNBA9x7ZIh2NIryVVDOEsK0_2zSL9e1ZpmBNs=>. “Federal records belong to the American people, not to any administration looking to cover its tracks.” Anna Kelly, the White House deputy press secretary, posted <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZKQHBssGAtq51ZQfFnqVcQEjM6ZcQgPkQ6HJZiBzr0fCEXGWJBnsrJsMxmZQlhjGw-XPl7W0=> on the social media platform X that the email 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.” This comes as USAID is gutted — headquarters closed <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POlEl9RSRUZlYbrmNpaBWzbMeW3UNwb2WXSj5TDl22tRel_d4u_AOYrXKeGD_q22I1mZnrepi5uhavfX9Ep17M7-Pml8Q3-mKrmNXOBLcxW6Bu5xMsyKq-nULK88cRIBgfEj7KGwxVF3zuE9S6CUsmL_1O_uJfWUtprokB847jmd6U1fmYObPCiBxy4_Ko07m392ByzvK12DGkgiZ5aaJWKWNKr9gQvfQX0VCX20VwnOKjr-g-yJ2Sm-DE85dRkWJMQ==/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZKQHBsgoAt720Y8rbf4YLAF74wsjXHs5kMA0yv5KZJIQGxwYednFaMHCLY7pz-B_zlH9BEPo=>, projects axed <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POnWoAy7kER6YdeYGxyc7JzG6WR3oDJSxAZKfjU5kWlPsoX36S1PAQwyrBjKZTqTcyoSJQTQ7XQct2XyhO7McoOZh25zVIl2-xfmchSpMg48--r-80H7m_LaK1dY7G34cxW-deJ6IRMmTd6IpjosTlzRFqR5FJWDPVxWQjkPoVeYeHJMqpGRkR50YsPAwHub0DdVPGMwjSG-rKnqmEAWAheWfG-w2UCxXcs8TjA4Vr55w/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZKQHBsgoAt720Y8rbf4YLAF74wsjXHs5kMA0yv5KZJIQGxwYednFaMHCLY7pz-B_zlH9BEPo=>, staff recalled <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POlEl9RSRUZlYbrmNpaBWzbMJpzFzneHJnMsamEK8TfqGir2lhH_3JJaislMDcQ4K2h1VEtJCJoptGbmW0tPrS85zoSGVwbyzebSmkUH2LixhAmt_Un4UYLGvqj7ZG0FIVX6GNpGslWpo_WDs8OIi1ct6S-0RrZF1DrmSPSXMD3Xf0YlkHbPCAkOE9pLUBlXy9XHUd_Ft4PnSEB-wz3QIzUz57uhOKgv4Ic34szY70thn/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZKQHBsgoAt720Y8rbf4YLAF74wsjXHs5kMA0yv5KZJIQGxwYednFaMHCLY7pz-B_zlH9BEPo=>, and partners unpaid <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POgHnU0AEd8M6o_YcsV5JNktnxJ5zaA-nhM1Wp1ruJf7L9MSOiOcc5zauOyS8LN9kdn7yiFUuYxrlLTErLEFAEYUAjAfw-kTEReYH7w5XcC24B6O4Y2VA5WvM9pVJHBZrRLDBCkyHpO3kdwenIrgWq9NDTEeOgJcDXfQqQka1yppxra51vtZp3MUeAfy23yVC-ydvrMbg-RUIZPN2Cnt_2MvMRUeWvdE0Hk7IyuhQ3BbtuedOupONswICuuQfMIow6g==/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZKQHBsgoAt720Y8rbf4YLAF74wsjXHs5kMA0yv5KZJIQGxwYednFaMHCLY7pz-B_zlH9BEPo=>. “*I do not see how this follows protocol*. There are a lot of rules around documents. Especially classified,” a USAID staffer who was put on administrative leave tells Devex. *Scoop:* USAID staff instructed to shred and burn classified documents <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POiKRGbNY2OKC42jxnUn9zvqRZlTOTo-cLzOSVVuyQjg3azOuZE0f1l6AjLkMTjAklQNXjJah6qayVz_36rlpShf0tSyjgy2mHodZ8NY4zIixga6IpZQmlAL4cBZDQx-stuD84hPwsRUMmA26XKYT1VgM80rRlyoppTV1eXHAENKf7v8petxk-7TKjdDA-KjKwqHHPfqcs5O2QWaUhDZmNkWYsjegp4IW516kflqCJjlp2pZKbTz8RevDVCR2DAauCg==/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZKQHBsgoAt720Y8rbf4YLAF74wsjXHs5kMA0yv5KZJIQGxwYednFaMHCLY7pz-B_zlH9BEPo=>