WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, has called on Elon Musk and Acting Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Charles Ezell to immediately halt mass emails from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and OPM to legislative branch employees.
Despite having no authority over the legislative branch, DOGE and OPM have reportedly sent mass emails demanding that employees summarize their weekly tasks, with Musk warning that failure to respond would be considered a resignation.
Mass Emails Raise Security and Oversight Concerns
Over the weekend, thousands of federal employees received emails from [email protected], raising alarms about unauthorized data sharing and security risks.
Why Are These Emails a Concern?
- Legislative branch employees are not under executive branch authority, making these emails an overreach of power.
- Employees have been warned not to respond, as doing so could expose sensitive information to foreign adversaries.
- Government resources are being wasted addressing these misleading and unauthorized requests.
Padilla’s Official Statement
In a letter to Musk and Ezell, Senator Padilla strongly criticized DOGE’s actions:
“Neither the White House nor DOGE nor OPM have any authority or legitimate purpose to mass email legislative branch offices and agencies demanding information from employees or to threaten adverse personnel actions.”
Padilla also warned that these actions further demonstrate DOGE’s mismanagement and lack of understanding of government operations:
“The fact that these mass emails are also going beyond the scope of the executive branch is yet another sign of how DOGE is operating in an uninformed, poorly executed, and chaotic manner.”
Deadline Set for Ceasing Communications
Padilla has demanded that Musk and Ezell take immediate action to stop all further mass email communications to legislative employees. He has given them a deadline of Monday, March 3, to comply.
Security Risks: Could Sensitive Data Be Exposed?
Government agencies have advised employees not to respond to these emails, warning that foreign intelligence actors could exploit the situation.
- If employees respond, sensitive legislative information could be exposed.
- OPM and DOGE have not provided cybersecurity assurances for the email system.
- Federal agencies typically have strict access controls, and these emails may be bypassing those protections.
DOGE’s Growing Controversy
This latest mass email scandal adds to the growing criticism of DOGE’s handling of government operations:
- Lawmakers have raised national security concerns about DOGE’s access to classified data.
- Over 21 DOGE employees recently resigned, citing ethical concerns and security risks.
- Federal courts have blocked DOGE’s access to certain Treasury Department records, fearing potential breaches.
Will DOGE Comply?
As the March 3 deadline approaches, the question remains: Will Musk and DOGE back down, or will this escalate into a legal battle?
For now, Senator Padilla and other lawmakers are making it clear that DOGE’s overreach will not go unchecked.
Full text of the letter:
Dear Acting Director Ezell and Mr. Musk:
Your agencies should cease directing any further mass email communications from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) or the White House’s U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Service to the employees of legislative branch offices and agencies, who are not subject to personnel actions by the Executive branch.
Neither the White House nor DOGE nor OPM have any authority or legitimate purpose to mass email legislative branch offices and agencies demanding information from employees or to threaten adverse personnel actions. Unfortunately, Rules Committee staff have verified that mass emails from [email protected] were sent to multiple legislative branch offices and agencies, wasting time and resources and potentially misleading employees into responding and sharing legislative branch information in an unauthorized manner.
This is especially concerning as several executive branch agencies have even warned their own employees not to respond to these messages because doing so would risk sensitive information falling into the hands of malign foreign actors. The fact that these mass emails are also going beyond the scope of the executive branch is yet another sign of how DOGE is operating in an uninformed, poorly executed, and chaotic manner.
In light of these inappropriate and potentially harmful actions, I ask that you confirm by Monday, March 3, 2025, that OPM and DOGE have taken steps to ensure that they will cease directly any further mass email communications at legislative branch offices and agencies and their employees.
I appreciate your prompt attention to this matter. For any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Senate Rules Committee Democratic staff at 202-224-6352.
Sincerely,
