Musk’s DOGE agents access sensitive, restricted federal personnel data
5 Min Read
The tightly restricted data contain personally identifiable information of millions of federal employees managed by the Office of Personnel Management.
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People protest during a rally against Elon Musk outside the US Department of Labor in Washington, on Wednesday, February 5, 2025. (AP)
Agents from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have gained access to restricted government records on millions of federal employees, including those in sensitive security roles at the Treasury and State Departments, The Washington Post reported, citing four US officials familiar with the situation.
The same sources added that the incident is part of a broader effort to assert control over the government’s primary personnel agency.
The officials, who spoke anonymously due to WashPo's fears of retaliation, voiced concerns about potential misuse or security breaches of these records, especially given that senior administration figures, including US President Donald Trump, have threatened action against federal workers deemed disloyal.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) maintains these records, which contain extensive details on federal employees, including addresses, demographic data, salaries, and disciplinary records, as per the report.
DOGE’s moves at OPM align with similar efforts to access sensitive systems at other agencies, such as the Treasury Department’s payment processing system.
Driving the news
According to documents obtained by The Post, several DOGE team members—some in their early 20s and with backgrounds in Musk’s private companies—received "administrative" access to OPM systems just days after Trump’s inauguration. This level of access allows them to install and modify software on government devices and, as two OPM officials confirmed, even alter internal records of their activities.
The push for access coincided with Musk’s deputies arriving at OPM with plans to eliminate 70% of its workforce, officials said. A senior OPM official stated during a team meeting Wednesday that essential units focused on modernizing networks and enhancing accountability are "likely to go away," according to a recording obtained by The Post. Key personnel, including the agency’s chief information officer and chief financial officer, have already been reassigned.
Morale at OPM has reportedly plummeted as DOGE agents clash with career officials. One OPM official described a recent meeting where a young DOGE member "began screaming at senior developers and calling them ‘idiots.’"
The pause on IT upgrades, combined with the introduction of outsiders capable of installing new software, raises concerns about cybersecurity vulnerabilities at OPM, which has previously been targeted by foreign intelligence agencies. A major breach in 2014, attributed to China, exposed background investigations of over 20 million individuals seeking security clearances.
Why it matters
A former US intelligence official likened the situation to weakening a castle’s defenses: "It’s like you’re defending some medieval castle and someone comes in and starts firing all the archers who are positioned to defend it. You let your defenses down. It’s a perfect time to strike."
A DOGE representative did not respond to questions about data access or security protocols. Similarly, OPM officials did not answer inquiries. However, a US official said as quoted by WaPo that "everyone with access to sensitive systems is a government employee with the appropriate clearances."
While the Trump administration has suggested that DOGE personnel are authorized to review sensitive records, it has not clarified whether they have been formally issued security clearances. US officials noted that the speed at which clearances may have been granted raises concerns that standard protocols, such as FBI background checks, might have been bypassed.
Last month, Trump issued an executive order overriding standard White House staff security screening procedures, though it made no direct mention of DOGE.
The big picture
At least six DOGE agents were granted broad access to all OPM personnel systems on January 20, the day of Trump’s inauguration, with three more receiving access a week later, according to two agency officials.
The data accessible to DOGE includes personal information from federal employees stored in systems such as Enterprise Human Resources Integration and the Electronic Official Personnel Folder. It also contains details on individuals who applied for federal jobs via USAJobs, which had 24.5 million applicants last year alone.
Two OPM officials told The Washington Post that the level of access DOGE agents possess enables them to manipulate records extensively.
"They could put a new file in someone’s record, they could modify an existing record," one official said.
"They could delete that record out of the database. They could export all that data about people who are currently or formerly employed by the government, they could export it to some nongovernment server, or to their own PC, or to a Google Drive. Or to a foreign country," they added.
