OPM inspector general investigating DOGE emails, access to agency data

The inspector general for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) told lawmakers he is investigating the use of a new data system at the agency that has been part of a broader effort by Elon Musk and his allies to email federal workers.

The Friday letter from acting Inspector General Norbert Vint to Democratic members of the House Oversight Committee follows a request by the lawmakers to investigate efforts by Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to access data systems at numerous agencies across government.

The OPM was one of the first agencies accessed by DOGE, where those connected to Musk tapped into OPM systems, created the hr@opm.gov email address, and began contacting federal workers ahead of the government buyout program. The same email has since been used to demand federal workers send a list of five accomplishments to recap their week.

“You requested that the OPM Office of the Inspector General (OIG) assess the security of government networks, determine whether OPM followed appropriate protocols, and provide responses to specific questions related to network security at OPM. The OPM OIG has reviewed your request and incorporated parts of your request into existing work,” Vint wrote.

“We have also just begun an engagement to assess risks associated with new and modified information systems at OPM.”

Vint noted that the inspector general’s office is already tasked with reviewing IT systems and must identify “developing risks.”

The OPM did not immediately respond to request for comment.

The agency is facing a lawsuit over the new data system.

The February letter from the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee cited reporting from various outlets where OPM staffers relayed they had “no visibility” into what Musk’s team was doing with the data.

“We are deeply concerned that unauthorized system access could be occurring across the federal government and could pose a major threat to the personal privacy of all Americans and to the national security of our nation,” ranking member Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) wrote alongside other Democratic members of the committee.

The OPM did not previously have the capability to email every government employee, with such communications previously coming from agencies themselves. Musk’s emails demanding a recap of the work week have received pushback from some department leaders, including those that have said they do not need to respond. Musk had previously said nonresponse would be taken as a resignation.

The OPM has offered a conflicting picture whether response to the emails is voluntary.

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