Erica Carr, the acting executive secretary of USAID, who ordered the mass shredding and burning of paper files at the agency, is allegedly a Biden-era appointee.
Former State Department official Mike Benz took to X (formerly Twitter) to highlight that Carr was appointed by President Biden in his first week in office.
Expressing shock, he wrote, “So the current Acting Executive Secretary of USAID who ordered the mass shredding and burning of paper files at USAID today worked in the Obama OPM, then Obama USAID, then was personally named USAID Executive Secretary by Joe Biden his first week in office. What’s going on here?”
Social media users also questioned why Carr was still in her role despite the change in administration. Some wondered why Republican lawmakers had not removed her sooner. One user asked, “Why didn’t Rubio replace her?” while another commented, “Something very shady. To say the very least.”
The order, which was reportedly sent in an internal email, comes as the Trump administration faces legal battles over its plans to shut down the agency.
NBC News obtained an email from Carr directing USAID staff to begin destroying records. The message thanked employees for their “assistance in clearing our classified safes and personnel documents.” It also instructed staff to prioritise shredding, using burn bags only if the shredders were unavailable.
Legal groups challenging the shutdown of USAID filed an emergency motion Tuesday to stop the document destruction. A federal judge, Carl Nichols, has not yet ruled on the matter but has requested a status report from both sides.
