The email provided no explanation for the destruction of documents. The building is currently being vacated following mass layoffs, which may have disrupted the usual schedule for disposing of records. Customs and Border Protection is preparing to occupy the USAID facility after leasing 390,000 square feet of office space in the building last month.
This development highlights the chaotic manner in which the Trump administration is dismantling an agency that once managed a $40 billion annual budget and employed more than 10,000 staff worldwide.
Last month, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, attempted to gain access to USAID’s secure computer systems, including data about employee security clearances. This move sparked backlash within the agency, leading the administration to place two USAID security staff members on administrative leave. A DOGE spokesperson later stated that there was “no improper access” to classified materials.
The State Department declined to comment on the document purge.
A former USAID staff member verified the authenticity of the email and described the large-scale destruction of documents as unprecedented.
“I’ve never seen anything like this done on such a scale. Everyone with a safe is responsible for maintaining it and destroying documents when they are no longer necessary. Occasionally, security conducts checks and may instruct employees to clear out outdated materials,” said the former staffer, who requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation by the Trump administration.
USAID has been at the center of efforts by Trump and Musk to shrink the federal workforce. Most of its personnel have been laid off or placed on administrative leave. Agency employees are mounting legal challenges against these changes, but the outcomes have been mixed.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced this week that over 80% of USAID’s programs have been canceled, with the remaining ones set to be managed by the State Department.
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