Things are getting pretty tense in Washington, and after Elon Musk fell out with famed astronaut Andreas Mogensen, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has now told government workers to ignore an email from the head of the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency.
Taking his role more than a little seriously, Musk is heading up the DOGE in an attempt to cut $2 trillion from government spending. It's not been an easy first couple of months for Mr. Musk, and after a judge demanded the DOGE destroy data it obtained on millions of Americans, there have been vocal protests from government workers, hacks of the DOGE site, and wild claims being debunked on an almost daily basis.
Now, the FBI, and other government agencies, have told workers to ignore an email from Musk, with the tech mogul demanding to know their workload.
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Musk shocked staffers when he sent an email demanding that all 2.3 million government workers justify their work accomplishments by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Monday, February 24.
The email is titled “What did you do last week?” and asks for five bullet points on what employees did in the last week, also demanding that managers be included in the chain.
There's plenty of confusion, and while Musk's supporters say it'll only take minutes to respond, others are being told not to.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. heads up the Department of Health and Human Services, with the department telling its 80,000 employees to comply. It came shortly after acting general counsel head Sean Keveney instructed some not to.
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Musk shared the message on social media and said that if staff don't respond, it will be taken as a resignation.
New FBI Director Kash Patel told employees over the weekend that they should "pause any responses."
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) confirmed Musk's original email was authentic, but Patel added: "FBI personnel may have received an email from OPM requesting information,"
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"The FBI, through the Office of the Director, is in charge of all of our review processes, and will conduct reviews in accordance with the FBI procedures."
Following the FBI's defiance, the State Department sent a similar message that said leadership would respond on behalf of its employees. Tibor Nagy, acting undersecretary for management, said: "No employee is obligated to report their activities outside of their Department chain of command."
The Pentagon then told its own workforce: "When and if required, the Department will coordinate responses to the email you have received from OPM."
There appears to be mass confusion with agencies failing to present a united front.
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While the likes of the Department of Transportation, the Secret Service, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency have all encouraged staff to comply, others ranging from the National Security Agency to the Internal Revenue Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, have told staff to wait for further instructions.
With Musk's deadline looming, there could soon be a LOT of vacant positions in the government.