Musk aides lock US agency workers out of systems: Reuters

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Reuters
1 Feb 2025 10:54

Elon Musk's aides running the US government human resources agency have blocked civil servants from accessing computer systems with the personal data of federal employees, say two officials.

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Elon Musk speaks at an indoor Presidential Inauguration parade event in Washington, on January 20, 2025. (AP)

Two agency officials say Elon Musk's aides, who oversee the US government’s human resources agency, have blocked career civil servants from accessing computer systems containing the personal data of millions of federal employees.

Since taking office 11 days ago, President Donald Trump has initiated a sweeping government overhaul. He dismissed and sidelined hundreds of civil servants in his efforts to reduce bureaucracy and appoint more loyalists.

Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and owner of X, appointed by Trump to reduce the 2.2 million-strong civilian government workforce, has quickly moved to place allies in key positions at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

The two officials, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity to avoid retaliation, said that some senior career employees at OPM have had their access to certain department data systems revoked.

The systems include a vast database known as Enterprise Human Resources Integration, which contains sensitive details like birthdates, Social Security numbers, performance appraisals, home addresses, pay grades, and years of service for government employees, the officials said.

One of the officials said, "We have no visibility into what they are doing with the computer and data systems," adding, "That is creating great concern. There is no oversight. It creates real cybersecurity and hacking implications."

According to the report, officials impacted by the change were able to access functions like email but could no longer view the extensive datasets covering all aspects of the federal workforce.

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

A Musk takeover

According to Reuters, a team of current and former employees of Musk took control of the OPM on January 20, the day Trump assumed office.

The team has moved sofa beds onto the fifth floor of the agency's headquarters, which houses the director's office and can only be accessed with a security badge or escort, one OPM employee reported. The beds were installed so the team could work around the clock.

Musk, known for installing beds at X to encourage long work hours when he took over in 2022, is bringing similar changes to OPM.

"It feels like a hostile takeover," the employee said.

The new appointees at OPM have relocated the agency's chief management officer, Katie Malague, from her office to a new one on a different floor, according to officials. Malague did not respond to a request for comment, according to Reuters.

These moves by Musk's aides at OPM, along with disruptions reported inside the Treasury building by other Musk associates, highlight the sweeping influence Musk is exerting across the government.