Aides to Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and owner of the social media platform X, have locked career civil servants out of computer systems containing sensitive personal data of millions of federal employees. This drastic move came just days after President Donald Trump took office, as part of his administration's aggressive campaign to reshape the federal government by installing loyalists and reducing the size of the bureaucracy.
According to reports from Reuters, aides appointed by Musk to manage the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) have revoked access for senior career employees to key data systems. This includes the Enterprise Human Resources Integration database, which contains dates of birth, Social Security numbers, appraisals, home addresses, pay grades, and more. Such access restrictions have left affected employees unable to monitor or manage their databases, leading to significant concern about oversight and the potential for cybersecurity risks. An anonymous OPM official remarked, "We have no visibility onto what they are doing with the computer and data systems. That is creating great concern. There is no oversight. It creates real cybersecurity and hacking implications."
Musk's team took command of OPM on January 20, the same day Trump was inaugurated. Their swift actions reflect the administration's broader strategy to streamline the 2.2 million-strong civilian government workforce. Officials affected by this recent lockout can still log on for email, but the restrictions hamper visibility over the datasets integral to running the agency.
The atmosphere inside OPM has reportedly turned hostile. Employees described the changes as akin to a "hostile takeover," with new leadership quickly implementing severe measures. Memos sent by Charles Ezell, the acting head of OPM, offer federal employees the chance to accept buyout packages, encouraging them to take vacations to "dream destinations". An employee stated, "No-one here knew the memos were coming out. We are finding out about these memos the same time as the rest of the world." This unexpected approach to workforce management has raised eyebrows concerning transparency and the decision-making process within the agency.
Beyond memos and access denial, the Musk regime’s changes include moving sofa beds onto the fifth floor of OPM’s headquarters to facilitate all-night work sessions. An employee noted, "It feels like a hostile takeover." The culture of demanding work hours appears consistent with Musk’s past practices; he previously revealed efforts to instill similar work ethics at Tesla, where he would sleep on factory floors to direct operations more tightly.
These tumultuous changes underscored Musk's rising influence within the government. His former and current employees are now driving policies and practices at OPM, including senior adviser Brian Bjelde, who moved over from Musk's SpaceX, and Amanda Scales, previously with Tesla, now serving as OPM’s chief of staff. The push by Musk’s team to execute such rapid changes has sparked reactions from experts concerned with the government’s operational integrity. Don Moynihan, professor at the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan, pointed out, "This makes it much harder for anyone outside Musk's inner circle at OPM to know what's going on. The moves raise serious concerns about congressional oversight at the agency and how Trump and Musk view the federal bureaucracy."
Calls for transparency and checks on Musk's influence amid the administration's sweeping changes have become more prominent, especially as reports about upheaval extend to other government agencies. Allegations of tensions have emerged from the U.S. Treasury Department as Musk's aides reportedly clashed with career officials over access to payment systems, indicating growing friction within the new regime.
The immediate fallout of this governance style showcases the struggles and challenges facing the federal workforce, particularly career civil servants caught up amid drastic administrative changes. Elon Musk, who has consistently advocated for intense dedication to work, echoed this sentiment recently on X, stating, "Working the weekend is a superpower." This statement reflects his unprecedented approach to labor and commitment within the federal ranks, as the OPM rushes forward under his influence.