USAID Security Officials Reportedly Placed on Leave for Denying DOGE Access to Classified Documents

Elon Musk attacked the US Agency for International Development, calling it a "criminal organization" on Sunday, sparking fear over the intensity of President Donald Trump's unprecedented scrutiny of the work of the civil service.

Mr. Musk’s DOGE staff traveled to the USAID offices in recent days to demand access to classified information, including intelligence reports, despite not having the requisite security clearances, according to the Associated Press.

Two senior security officials with the United States Agency for International Development were placed on leave by the Trump administration after refusing to hand over classified documents to a Department of Government Efficiency inspection team, according to a report. The two USAID security officials, John Vorhees and deputy Brian McGill, were legally required to deny Elon Musk’s government inspection teams access to the documents since they did not have the proper security clearances to access the documents, a current and former U.S. official told the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity since they were not authorized to discuss the matter. Musk’s inspection teams were eventually able to gain access to the classified documents on Saturday.