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| Key US officials tell staff not to answer Musk email on what they did last week | Key US officials tell staff not to answer Musk email on what they did last week |
| (1 day later) | |
| Key US departments within the Trump administration have told staff not to comply with a Saturday email from Elon Musk's cost-cutting initiative asking what they accomplished in the past week. | Key US departments within the Trump administration have told staff not to comply with a Saturday email from Elon Musk's cost-cutting initiative asking what they accomplished in the past week. |
| The FBI, state department and Pentagon were among agencies that instructed employees not to answer the message. | |
| Other department heads advised staff to comply, while some told workers to wait for further guidance before responding. | |
| Musk said failure to respond by Monday at midnight would be interpreted as the employee resigning. President Donald Trump has yet to comment on the email. | Musk said failure to respond by Monday at midnight would be interpreted as the employee resigning. President Donald Trump has yet to comment on the email. |
| The conflicting guidance caused confusion for hundreds of thousands of government bureaucrats as Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) task force leads an outside effort to aggressively reduce government spending. | The conflicting guidance caused confusion for hundreds of thousands of government bureaucrats as Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) task force leads an outside effort to aggressively reduce government spending. |
| The message sent to millions of federal employees on Saturday evening came after Musk posted on his social media platform X that government staff would "shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week". | The message sent to millions of federal employees on Saturday evening came after Musk posted on his social media platform X that government staff would "shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week". |
| In a copy of the email obtained by the BBC, employees were asked to respond explaining their accomplishments from the past week in five bullet points - without disclosing classified information. | In a copy of the email obtained by the BBC, employees were asked to respond explaining their accomplishments from the past week in five bullet points - without disclosing classified information. |
| The Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the federal government's human resources agency, confirmed the email was authentic. | The Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the federal government's human resources agency, confirmed the email was authentic. |
| The message did not mention whether declining to comply could affect employment status, despite Musk's social media assertion that "failure to respond will be taken as a resignation". | The message did not mention whether declining to comply could affect employment status, despite Musk's social media assertion that "failure to respond will be taken as a resignation". |
| The message also appears to be at odds with an assessment released in February by OPM that said any responses to government-wide emails must be "explicitly voluntary". | The message also appears to be at odds with an assessment released in February by OPM that said any responses to government-wide emails must be "explicitly voluntary". |
| Newly confirmed FBI Director Kash Patel told his staff in a separate email later on Saturday that they should "pause any responses". | Newly confirmed FBI Director Kash Patel told his staff in a separate email later on Saturday that they should "pause any responses". |
| "FBI personnel may have received an email from OPM requesting information," Patel wrote in a message obtained by CBS News. | "FBI personnel may have received an email from OPM requesting information," Patel wrote in a message obtained by CBS News. |
| "The FBI, through the Office of the Director, is in charge of all of our review processes, and will conduct reviews in accordance with the FBI procedures." | "The FBI, through the Office of the Director, is in charge of all of our review processes, and will conduct reviews in accordance with the FBI procedures." |
| The state department sent a similar message, saying leadership would respond on behalf of the agency. | The state department sent a similar message, saying leadership would respond on behalf of the agency. |
| "No employee is obligated to report their activities outside of their Department chain of command," an email from Tibor Nagy, acting undersecretary for management, said. | "No employee is obligated to report their activities outside of their Department chain of command," an email from Tibor Nagy, acting undersecretary for management, said. |
| The Pentagon told its staff: "When and if required, the Department will coordinate responses to the email you have received from OPM." | The Pentagon told its staff: "When and if required, the Department will coordinate responses to the email you have received from OPM." |
| The Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the director of US spy agencies gave their employees similar instructions, according to reports. | The Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the director of US spy agencies gave their employees similar instructions, according to reports. |
| Thousands of USAID workers placed on leave, Trump administration says | Thousands of USAID workers placed on leave, Trump administration says |
| List weekly accomplishments or resign, Musk tells US federal workers | List weekly accomplishments or resign, Musk tells US federal workers |
| Musk wields his Doge chainsaw - but is a backlash brewing? | Musk wields his Doge chainsaw - but is a backlash brewing? |
| Are you a federal worker in the US? Get in touch confidentially. | Are you a federal worker in the US? Get in touch confidentially. |
| In a sign that the OPM email may have come as a surprise to many agencies, a senior figure at the Department of Justice wrote to staff on Saturday evening to say: "Media reports indicate the email was distributed to employees throughout the federal government." | In a sign that the OPM email may have come as a surprise to many agencies, a senior figure at the Department of Justice wrote to staff on Saturday evening to say: "Media reports indicate the email was distributed to employees throughout the federal government." |
| The message added that "at this point, we have no reason to believe this message is spam or malicious". | The message added that "at this point, we have no reason to believe this message is spam or malicious". |
| Later on Saturday evening, a follow-up email was sent clarifying that the OPM message was "legitimate" and that "employees should be prepared to follow the instructions as requested". | Later on Saturday evening, a follow-up email was sent clarifying that the OPM message was "legitimate" and that "employees should be prepared to follow the instructions as requested". |
| The justice department message also came with a warning to staff: "Do not include any sensitive, confidential, or classified information in your response. Should you have any questions about the contents of your response please contact your supervisor. | The justice department message also came with a warning to staff: "Do not include any sensitive, confidential, or classified information in your response. Should you have any questions about the contents of your response please contact your supervisor. |
| "If we receive additional guidance or information, I will update all employees, as necessary." | "If we receive additional guidance or information, I will update all employees, as necessary." |
| Agencies such as the Department of Transportation, the Secret Service and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency also encouraged their staff to comply, reports said. | Agencies such as the Department of Transportation, the Secret Service and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency also encouraged their staff to comply, reports said. |
| Other departments, including the National Security Agency, the Internal Revenue Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, requested that employees await further guidance. | Other departments, including the National Security Agency, the Internal Revenue Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, requested that employees await further guidance. |
| OPM did not immediately respond to the BBC's inquiry about whether some staff might be exempt. | OPM did not immediately respond to the BBC's inquiry about whether some staff might be exempt. |
| The American Federation of Government Employees, the largest union representing federal employees, criticised the message as "cruel and disrespectful" and threatened to sue. | The American Federation of Government Employees, the largest union representing federal employees, criticised the message as "cruel and disrespectful" and threatened to sue. |
| It is unclear how the email affects any of the roughly three million federal workers who may not have had access their emails this weekend. | It is unclear how the email affects any of the roughly three million federal workers who may not have had access their emails this weekend. |
| Other government employees, such as those at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, were placed on leave in the last month. | Other government employees, such as those at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, were placed on leave in the last month. |
| The message came hours after Trump praised Musk's work on social media, adding: "I would like to see him get more aggressive." | The message came hours after Trump praised Musk's work on social media, adding: "I would like to see him get more aggressive." |
| The Democratic ranking member on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hit out at the directive in a letter to the OPM. | The Democratic ranking member on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hit out at the directive in a letter to the OPM. |
| Congressman Gerry Connolly of Virginia wrote that the agency should "immediately clarify that federal employees' nonresponse to this ill-conceived, weekend email does not constitute resignation". | Congressman Gerry Connolly of Virginia wrote that the agency should "immediately clarify that federal employees' nonresponse to this ill-conceived, weekend email does not constitute resignation". |
| "This threat is illegal, reckless, and yet another example of the cruel and arbitrary chaos Mr Musk is inflicting on the people's government and its dedicated public servants." | "This threat is illegal, reckless, and yet another example of the cruel and arbitrary chaos Mr Musk is inflicting on the people's government and its dedicated public servants." |
| Most Republican members of Congress have been defending Musk and his broader efforts. | Most Republican members of Congress have been defending Musk and his broader efforts. |
| Congressman Mike Lawler of New York told ABC on Sunday that Musk's efforts were a "comprehensive, forensic audit of every department and agency in the federal government". | Congressman Mike Lawler of New York told ABC on Sunday that Musk's efforts were a "comprehensive, forensic audit of every department and agency in the federal government". |
| But Senator John Curtis, a Republican representing Utah, criticised Musk's methods, even as said he supported the ultimate goal of Doge. | But Senator John Curtis, a Republican representing Utah, criticised Musk's methods, even as said he supported the ultimate goal of Doge. |
| "If I could say one thing to Elon Musk, it's like, please put a dose of compassion in this. These are real people. These are real lives. These are mortgages," Curtis told CBS. | "If I could say one thing to Elon Musk, it's like, please put a dose of compassion in this. These are real people. These are real lives. These are mortgages," Curtis told CBS. |
| Watch: How Americans feel about Elon Musk's government role | Watch: How Americans feel about Elon Musk's government role |