The State Department has once again instructed its employees to refrain from responding to emails sent by tech billionaire Elon Musk, which request justification for their work. This comes as Musk, a known ally of former President Donald Trump, intensifies his efforts to reshape the federal government. Employees across various federal agencies received the second iteration of Musk’s email, which asks them to summarize their work activities from the previous week in bullet points, late Friday.
The initial email sent out by Musk sparked significant backlash, particularly among employees in agencies that handle sensitive or classified information. According to reports from POLITICO, some employees received the email from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), while others received it directly from their respective agencies. In light of the confusion and concern, several agencies promptly advised their employees not to respond, a directive that the State Department reiterated early Saturday morning.
An internal message from Tibor Nagy, a State Department official, outlined the organization's position on the matter. “You may have received another email from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) asking for five points about your work,” the message read. “As a reminder, Department leadership will continue to respond on behalf of our workforce and employees until otherwise rescinded.” Despite this guidance, Musk has firmly maintained that all federal employees are required to respond to his emails or face potential job consequences.
“The President has made it clear that this is mandatory for the executive branch,” Musk stated on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday. He further emphasized that employees working on classified or sensitive matters must still reply if they receive the email, although they can simply indicate that their work is sensitive.
It remains uncertain how other agencies that manage sensitive information will address this latest email request. The Department of Justice and the FBI, both of which deal with issues requiring security clearances, had previously instructed their employees not to respond to Musk’s first email. A spokesperson from the DOJ did not provide immediate comments regarding the second email.
The confusion surrounding Musk’s requests highlights a tumultuous week within the federal government, following his unexpected demand for federal workers to justify their roles to the Department of Government Efficiency. In the aftermath of the initial email, various agencies found themselves at odds over how to handle the situation, with some loyal to Trump advising employees to disregard the request altogether.
The second email from OPM served to clarify that employees should not include any classified information in their responses. Musk has warned that a failure to respond to the first email would be interpreted as a resignation. Previously, OPM’s privacy regulations assured employees that responding to such requests was “explicitly voluntary.” However, these privacy rules were altered on Friday, with OPM now stating that the consequences for non-compliance “will vary depending on the particular email at issue.”
This second email may just be the beginning of a broader initiative. It instructs employees to report their activities weekly on Mondays, positioning these emails as a “pulse check” on federal employees. This initiative is part of Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency’s larger plan to overhaul the federal government.
In conclusion, the situation continues to evolve, and the implications of these emails will likely resonate throughout federal agencies as they navigate the complexities of compliance and employee privacy amidst Musk's ambitious government reform efforts.
Nahal Toosi contributed to this report.
