WASHINGTON – Aides to Elon Musk, tasked with overseeing the U.S. government human resources agency, have restricted access for career civil servants to critical computer systems containing the personal data of millions of federal employees, according to two agency officials.
Musk’s Expedited Takeover of OPM
Since taking office 11 days ago, President Donald Trump has aggressively reshaped the federal government, removing and sidelining hundreds of civil servants as part of an effort to downsize bureaucracy and install loyalists.
Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and owner of X, has moved swiftly to restructure the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), appointing allies to key positions. Two anonymous agency officials disclosed that senior career employees have lost access to critical OPM data systems.
Restricted Access to Federal Employee Data
The compromised systems include the Enterprise Human Resources Integration database, which contains sensitive details such as Social Security numbers, dates of birth, home addresses, pay grades, and service records of federal employees.
“We have no visibility into what they are doing with the computer and data systems,” said one agency official. “That is creating great concern. There is no oversight. It creates real cybersecurity and hacking implications.”
While affected officials can still use basic functions like email, they can no longer access or oversee the vast data sets concerning the federal workforce.
Memos Encourage Federal Workers to Resign
The new OPM leadership has begun issuing unconventional memos encouraging civil servants to accept buyout offers and “take a vacation to a dream destination.” The memos, signed by acting OPM head Charles Ezell, have come as a surprise to longtime officials, who claim they were unaware of their release until after publication.
Concerns Over Congressional Oversight
Don Moynihan, a professor at the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan, expressed concern about the impact of these actions on transparency and congressional oversight.
“This makes it much harder for anyone outside Musk’s inner circle at OPM to know what’s going on,” Moynihan said.
Musk’s Expanding Influence in Government
Musk’s involvement in government operations extends beyond OPM. His appointees have reportedly caused upheaval within the Treasury Department. According to the Washington Post, David Lebryk, the top-ranking career U.S. Treasury Department official, is stepping down after conflicts with Musk’s allies, who sought access to federal payment systems.
A Tight-Knit Team of Musk Insiders
The new leadership at OPM includes former Musk employees. Among them is Brian Bjelde, a longtime SpaceX executive, now serving as a senior adviser. Amanda Scales, another former Musk employee, is now OPM’s chief of staff, while Riccardo Biasini, a former Tesla and Boring Company engineer, is also in a senior advisory role.
Additionally, the new appointees have moved sofa beds into OPM’s headquarters, mirroring Musk’s well-known practice at his companies, signaling their intent to work around the clock.
Federal Workforce in Turmoil
Federal employees have described the shift as a “hostile takeover,” with key personnel, including OPM’s chief management officer Katie Malague, being relocated from their offices.
With Musk’s rapid restructuring and deepening influence across government agencies, the coming months are likely to bring continued turbulence as officials and legislators grapple with the long-term implications of these sweeping changes.
