Musk Aides Lock Fed Employees Out of Computer System: ‘No Visibility into What They Are Doing’

Musk Aides Lock Fed Employees Out of Computer System 'No Visibility into What They Are Doing'

Elon Musk’s aides have locked employees from the Office of Personnel Management out of agency computers, according to two employees who spoke with Reuters for a story published on Friday.

The two individuals claimed it was unclear what those in charge of the agency’s computer systems were doing with them.

The OPM, which serves as the federal government’s human resources department, does not have access to vital information about more than 2.2 million federal employees, according to anonymous agency employees. The wire service reported:

The two officials, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation, said some senior career employees at OPM have had their access revoked to some of the department’s data systems.

The systems include a vast database called Enterprise Human Resources Integration, which contains dates of birth, Social Security numbers, appraisals, home addresses, pay grades and length of service of government workers, the officials said.

One of the officials stated, “We have no idea what they’re doing with the computer and data systems. That is causing great concern. There is no oversight. It has significant cybersecurity and hacking implications.”

According to Reuters, as of Friday, OPM employees had limited access to basic work programs such as email as they were encouraged to resign.

Officials affected by the move can still log on and access functions such as email but can no longer see the massive datasets that cover every facet of the federal workforce.

Musk, OPM, representatives of the new team, and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

OPM has sent out memos that eschew the normal dry wording of government missives as it encourages civil servants to consider buyout offers to quit and take a vacation to a “dream destination.”

According to Federal News Network, a popular news source for government employees, President Donald Trump has directed OPM to cut its staff by 70% as he and Musk appear to follow through on a campaign promise to reduce the size of the federal workforce.

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