Officials have begun large-scale destruction of classified documents, including using shredders and ‘burn bags’

Summary

USAid officials have begun destroying classified documents using shredders and “burn bags,” according to an internal email.

Acting USAid Secretary Erica Y. Carr instructed staff to clear “classified safes and personnel documents” as the agency faces major cuts under the DOGE, led by Elon Musk.

The mass purge raises concerns about violations of federal records laws, potential obstruction of oversight investigations, and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

The State Department has not commented on the document destruction.