Agencies push back on Musk email, including FBI, Pentagon, State, Intel

Several federal agencies have advised employees not to respond to Elon Musk’s email demanding federal workers list five accomplishments from the past week or risk losing their jobs.

The email instructs federal workers to respond to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) by 11:59 p.m. EST Monday. But a growing list of agencies, including the Pentagon, FBI, State Department and intelligence community, on Sunday had told their employees to hold off.

The Department of Defense shared a message to its employees on the social platform X, noting it is responsible for reviewing employee performance.

“When and if required, the Department will coordinate responses to the email you have received from OPM. For now, please pause any response to the OPM email titled ‘What did you do last week,’” Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Darin Selnick said in a statement.

FBI Director Kash Patel also told employees to hold off on responding to the email. Patel said the bureau would be handling responses to OPM’s request and would be coordinating employee reviews that align with the FBI’s procedures.

NBC News reported the State Department also instructed its employees not to respond.

“The State Department will respond on behalf of the Department. No employee is obligated to report their activities outside of their Department chain of command,” read a notice from Tibor Nagy, acting under secretary for management at the State Department.

And The New York Times reported that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard sent similar guidance to employees of agencies she oversees in the intelligence community (I.C.).

“Given the inherently sensitive and classified nature of our work, I.C. employees should not respond to the OPM email,” Gabbard reportedly wrote.

The email has also elicited an angry response from federal employee unions.

In a letter addressed to OPM acting director Charles Ezell, along with Musk, Everett Kelley, the national president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), directed its 800,000 members to not respond to the received request.

In his letter, Kelly said the email fails to identify legal authority for OPM to make the request.

“Federal employees report to their respective agencies through their established chains of command; they do not report to OPM,” Kelly said.

He slammed the message as “irresponsible” and a “sophomoric attempt” to cause confusion and intimidate federal workers.

“I am also requesting that OPM rescind the email and apologize to all federal employees.”

A screenshot posted online shows an email the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) sent to its members saying employees were “strongly” advised to not respond to OPM’s request.

“We are concerned about the implications of this request and are actively working to protect your rights and interests,” the NTEU said in a statement.

The email request comes as Musk slashes federal spending through his Department of Government Efficiency.

The billionaire said Saturday that federal employees should expect an email from OPM asking them to send “approx. 5 bullets” of what they accomplished over the past week. Musk said if employees don’t respond, it will be “taken as a resignation.”

Musk defended the email Sunday, praising those who gave “good responses” and saying the request intends to spot “outright fraud” from people who aren't doing any work.

Not all federal agencies are pushing back on the request.

An email to Department of Health and Human Services employees confirmed the email was "legitimate" and advised employees to respond by the Monday deadline, according to a message obtained by Bulwark editor Sam Stein. However, another message to National Institutes of Health employees appeared to send contradicting advice.

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