Musk email to government workers sparks confusion across US agencies
Officials from multiple U.S. government departments have provided guidance to employees on how to respond to Saturday emails touted by Trump adviser Elon Musk, asking them to list their achievements over the past week.
The guidance marks a clear public disagreement among Trump’s appointees who manage thousands of bureaucrats and Musk – as heads of the so-called head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) (DOGE) – has been leading External efforts to actively reduce government spending.
Leaders of some agencies encourage employees to comply, while others ask employees to wait for further guidance on how to respond appropriately.
President Donald Trump has not commented on the email yet.
The news Musk posted on his social media platform X is that government workers “will soon receive an email asking for an idea of what they did last week.”
In a copy of the email obtained by the BBC, employees were asked to explain their achievements in five bullet points by midnight on Monday, with five bullet points (without confidential information being disclosed). The Office of the Federal Government’s Human Resources Agency (OPM) confirmed that the email was true.
Although Musk’s social media assertions “failed to be considered resigned,” the message did not mention whether refusal to comply would be considered resigned.
Newly confirmed FBI Director Kash Patel told his staff in another email late Saturday that they should “pause any reply.”
“FBI personnel may have received an email from OPM,” Patel wrote in a message obtained by CBS News. “The FBI is responsible for all our review procedures through the Office of the Directors and will be subject to FBI procedures,” he said. Conduct a review.”
The State Department sent similar messages to its employees, saying its leadership would respond on behalf of the agency.
“No employees report their activities outside the department’s chain of command,” said an email from Acting Deputy Minister of Management Tibor Nagy.
To show that OPM emails may have surprised many agencies, a senior Justice Department figure wrote to staff Saturday night saying: “Media reports indicate that the email has been distributed to employees across the federal government.” Message added : “At this time, we have no reason why this message is spam or malicious.”
Later Saturday night, a follow-up email was sent to clarify that the OPM message was “legal” and that “employees should be prepared to comply with the instructions as required”.
The Justice Department message also warns employees: “Do not include any sensitive, confidential or confidential information in the reply. If you have any questions about the content of the reply, please contact your supervisor.”
“If we receive additional guidance or information, I will update all staff as needed.”
Other departments, including the Department of Defense, the IRS and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, require employees to wait for further guidance, media reports.
OPM did not immediately respond to the BBC’s inquiries about whether certain employees could be tax-free.
The request also raises logistical questions. Federal law prohibits approximately 3 million federal workers from accessing emails outside of working hours. Last month, other government employees, such as those of the Consumer Financial Protection Agency, were asked for leave.
Some Republican congressmen defended Musk and his broader efforts on Sunday.
Mike Lawler, a New York Republican, described Musk’s efforts as “a comprehensive, forensic audit of every department and agency of the federal government,” and told ABC that Mendor ABC) is working to “try to find efficiency in all respects”.
But Republican Senator John Curtis, who represents Utah, criticized Musk’s approach, even though he said he supported the ultimate goal of Doge’s efforts.
“If I could say one thing to Elon Musk, it’s like, please double your sympathy in this regard. These are real people. These are real life. These are mortgages,” Curtis said in an interview with CBS.
“I don’t think it’s a difficult request. I’ll ask my staff to tell me what they’re doing. But I don’t need to double the fact that it’s so cold and hard,” he added.
