Latest Breaking News

BumRushDaShow

(151,126 posts) Tue Mar 11, 2025, 07:49 PM Mar 11

Court asked to intervene after email tells USAID workers to destroy classified documents

Last edited Wed Mar 12, 2025, 05:03 AM - Edit history (1)

Source: AP

Updated 7:00 PM EDT, March 11, 2025

WASHINGTON (AP) — A union for U.S. Agency for International Development contractors asked a federal judge Tuesday to intervene in any destruction of classified documents after an email ordered staffers to help burn and shred agency records.

Judge Carl Nichols set a Wednesday morning deadline for the plaintiffs and the government to brief him on the issue. A person familiar with the email who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal verified that it was sent to at least some essential personnel.

It comes as the Trump administration has been dismantling USAID, cutting off most federal funding and terminating 83% of humanitarian and development programs abroad, pulling all but a few hundred staffers off the job, and shutting down the agency’s Washington headquarters.

Lawsuits are mounting over the abrupt shutdown of most U.S. foreign assistance and the targeting of the aid agency. In the latest court challenge, Personal Services Contractor Association, representing thousands of contractors now furloughed or fired from USAID, asked the judge to stop any document destruction to preserve evidence. The email was sent under the name of Erica Carr — the acting executive secretary at USAID — and bears a USAID logo.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/usaid-trump-burn-order-shred-classified-documents-f042a51c0a9f74c96b0259b51a0d4a83

ETA - Link to FILING (PDF viewer) - https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25558135-usaidshredding-of-docs/

Link to FILING (PDF) - https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/25558135/usaidshredding-of-docs.pdf

13 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Court asked to intervene after email tells USAID workers to destroy classified documents (Original Post) BumRushDaShow Mar 11 OP

An email? That's not an official gov't instruction. Norrrm Mar 11 #1

I wonder if they've ever really paid the bills they were ordered to pay? radical noodle Mar 11 #2

No. That's why they're being sued. This is an effort to preserve evidence from destruction. eppur_se_muova Mar 12 #7

Thanks! I wondered if that was part of this radical noodle Mar 12 #12

They shouldn't be destroying classified documents BrianTheEVGuy Mar 11 #3

That's Clever, But DallasNE Mar 11 #4

Every agency, by law has Records Management policies BumRushDaShow Mar 12 #5

But the convicted felon is above the law. republianmushroom Mar 12 #9

Yup BumRushDaShow Mar 12 #10

Yep BrianTheEVGuy Mar 12 #11

is it a coup yet? Blues Heron Mar 12 #6

Everything these bastards are doing is covered up immediately. bluestarone Mar 12 #8

This message was self-deleted by its author vapor2 Mar 12 #13

Norrrm

(1,258 posts)

1. An email? That's not an official gov't instruction.

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Tue Mar 11, 2025, 08:11 PM

Mar 11

Could those folks following such phony 'orders' be subject to prosecution?

radical noodle

(9,981 posts)

2. I wonder if they've ever really paid the bills they were ordered to pay?

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Tue Mar 11, 2025, 09:31 PM

Mar 11

eppur_se_muova

(38,923 posts)

7. No. That's why they're being sued. This is an effort to preserve evidence from destruction.

Reply to radical noodle (Reply #2)

Wed Mar 12, 2025, 10:37 AM

Mar 12

see BumRush's post at https://democraticunderground.com/10143416123

radical noodle

(9,981 posts)

12. Thanks! I wondered if that was part of this

Reply to eppur_se_muova (Reply #7)

Wed Mar 12, 2025, 09:31 PM

Mar 12

BrianTheEVGuy

(697 posts)

3. They shouldn't be destroying classified documents

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Tue Mar 11, 2025, 09:59 PM

Mar 11

The proper procedure is to stack them in boxes in the bathrooms of Mar a Lago!

DallasNE

(7,759 posts)

4. That's Clever, But

Reply to BrianTheEVGuy (Reply #3)

Tue Mar 11, 2025, 10:22 PM

Mar 11

As a legal matter, it appears to violate the law.

Copilot Answer
Images
Videos
The retention of classified documents is governed by laws and regulations.

cornell.edu+2
Whoever knowingly removes classified documents or materials without authority and with the intent to retain them at an unauthorized location shall be fined or imprisoned for not more than five years, or both.

cornell.edu
The Clinton administration issued an executive order that required all classified documents to be declassified after 25 years unless they were reviewed by the agency that created the information and determined to require continuing classification.

wikipedia.org
The retention period for classified documents is generally two years after the last form entry, reply, or submission; or when associated documents are declassified, decontrolled, or destroyed; or when an individual’s authorization expires; whichever is appropriate. Longer retention is authorized if required for business use.

archives.gov

BumRushDaShow

(151,126 posts)

5. Every agency, by law has Records Management policies

Reply to DallasNE (Reply #4)

Wed Mar 12, 2025, 04:46 AM

Mar 12

https://www.archives.gov/about/laws/fed-agencies.html

45 has slashed and burned through NARA but there is a page with drop-down categories for every Department/agency and the White House for their Records Management, with their schedules for handling - https://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/rcs/schedules/index.html?dir=/departments

There is a page here with PDFs for record types - https://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/grs.html

Disposition of classified documents would most likely be handled internally by those agencies that maintain those types of information.

There are also processes for "Change Control" to track changes/updates, etc. for critical identified policy documents.