One of the first things Trump did when he took office this go-round was to create an Office of Government Efficiency.
Trump mentioned casually during a press briefing that he will put Elon Musk in charge of the Office of Government Efficiency.
In addition, Trump instituted a hiring freeze.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk has been given the keys to the Office of Personnel Management of the US. His aids have taken over the office, expelling the existing employees and locking them out of their data systems. This, despite the hiring freeze that Trump instituted.
Of particular concern is that this office contains confidential information protected by the Federal Privacy Act. This Act prevents individuals from accessing confidential information without written consent from the individual.
How to identify legality
In the executive order Trump issued indication the creation of the Office, he indicated that all applicable laws will be followed. What law allows Musk’s aids to access this information?
How to identify retaliation
Trump has asked for the names of all FBI members who prosecuted the January 6 insurrectionists. Reuters reports,
“What we are seeing is a raw, unfiltered exercise of presidential authority to purge the government of anyone who put the Constitution first, instead of adherence or loyalty to Donald Trump,” said Bradley Moss, an attorney who represents federal employees.
Is this anything other than obvious retaliation for people doing their jobs to put criminals in jail?
What will Musk do with this information? Is this a trend towards more retaliation, or selling information about prosecutors to criminals or state enemies?
UPDATE February 4, 2025:
There is ongoing legal action to protect the FBI employees. Let’s see if the courts will do the right thing and uphold the nation’s laws and privacy acts.
If your goal was to bring criminals to justice and protect the innocent, what would you do in this situation?
How would you handle this?