A significant transformation is underway at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) following a takeover by a team of current and former employees linked to Elon Musk. This decisive shift began on January 20, coinciding with Donald Trump’s inauguration. The new leadership is raising alarms about transparency and congressional oversight as they implement changes that affect access to sensitive data and employee morale.
The newly installed team at OPM includes notable figures such as Brian Bjelde, who joined Musk's SpaceX in 2003 as an avionics engineer. Alongside him is Amanda Scales, a former employee of Musk, now serving as OPM's chief of staff. Their appointments signal a clear intention from the Trump administration to reshape the agency, which oversees the federal workforce of approximately 2.2 million individuals.
Shortly after taking command, Charles Ezell, OPM's acting head, began disseminating memos to all government employees. These communications have encouraged civil servants to consider buyout offers and take vacations to exotic locations, promoting a culture of voluntary departures from government service.
In a surprising move, OPM has also altered its physical office arrangements. The agency has moved sofa beds onto the fifth floor of its headquarters, which houses the director's office and is accessible only through security measures. This has raised eyebrows among career employees who have found their access to critical data systems restricted. According to sources, some senior officials at OPM have had their access revoked to the Enterprise Human Resources Integration database, which holds sensitive information regarding federal employees.
The swift installation of Musk's allies at OPM has resulted in significant organizational changes. Katie Malague, the agency's chief management officer, was relocated to a different floor, further indicating the new leadership’s grip over the agency. Riccardo Biasini, a former engineer at Tesla and director at The Boring Company, has also taken on a senior advisory role within OPM.
These developments have sparked concern among observers about the implications for oversight and accountability at OPM. Don Moynihan, a public policy expert, noted the challenges posed by this restructuring. He stated,
"This makes it much harder for anyone outside Musk's inner circle at OPM to know what's going on."
The secretive nature of these changes has prompted unease among career civil servants. One official expressed frustration regarding the lack of communication about Ezell’s memos, saying,
"No-one here knew that the memos were coming out. We are finding out about these memos the same time as the rest of the world."
In light of these rapid changes, David Lebryk, a top-ranking career official at the U.S. Treasury Department, is reportedly planning to leave his post due to conflicts with Musk's allies at OPM. This departure underscores the tension between long-standing career civil servants and the new leadership team brought in by the Trump administration.
As Musk and his associates navigate their mandate to streamline the federal workforce, concerns grow over how these actions align with principles of transparency and accountability in government operations. The recent developments at OPM not only reflect a significant shift in management but also pose fundamental questions about the future of federal service and employee rights.
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