USAID Ordered to Destroy Records as Legal Challenges Mount

Trump administration faces scrutiny over document destruction during controversial dismantling of US foreign aid agency.

USAID employees were instructed via email to shred or burn classified and personnel records, raising legal and ethical concerns.
The directive coincides with ongoing lawsuits challenging the Trump administration's mass layoffs, funding freezes, and agency dismantling without congressional authorization.
Legal experts argue that the destruction of records could hinder litigation and make it impossible to restore the agency if court rulings favor its revival.
The Foreign Service Association and other groups have filed emergency motions to halt the destruction of potentially critical evidence.
Federal judges have criticized the administration's actions, with rulings emphasizing the unconstitutionality of overriding congressional authority on appropriated funds.