US Justice Department staff told not to reply to Elon Musk's productivity mail

1. US Justice Department staff told not to reply to Elon Musk's productivity mail

US Justice Department staff told not to reply to Elon Musk's productivity mail Bloomberg | Feb 23, 2025 01:57 PM IST Read this news in brief form Share Via Copy Link Ed Martin, the staunch Trump loyalist leading the US attorney’s office in Washington, gave his staff the go-ahead for Musk's order. 

United States: Justice Department supervisors are directing employees to hold off on replying to the federal government-wide mandate to describe recent job achievements—an Elon Musk order that DOJ staff worry will trigger ethics violations.

At least five DOJ office leaders quickly responded to the HR email—the latest mandate from Musk’s government efficiency team—by telling their staff not to detail their work until they receive further clarity, said five people familiar with the situation.

Among them, two US attorneys offices messaged workers that the support office for all 93 US attorneys was trying to gather guidance from DOJ leadership about how they can comply or whether the email was even legitimate, said two individuals.

Within an hour after the government’s HR office gave all federal employees Saturday two days to provide five bullets of what they accomplished last week, DOJ managers rushed to blast out words of assurance to their workforce, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to share internal office matters.

DOJ lawyers are concerned that disclosing nonpublic investigation details, including evidence before a grand jury, would amount to attorney misconduct, the sources said.

When told about the advice from department office chiefs, a DOJ spokesman replied, “The opposite is true—DOJ has sent guidance that employees should respond.”

Sources contacted again Saturday night said the department’s workforce has yet to receive updates from supervisors.

The spokesman, however, said that “guidance was sent to component heads urging compliance.”

Musk wrote on social media Saturday that “failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.”

There was at least one notable exception to the orders to hold off on replying. Ed Martin, the staunch Trump loyalist leading the US attorney’s office in Washington, gave his staff the go-ahead.

“DOGE and Elon are doing great work! History. We are happy to be participate,” Martin told his office, according to an email he posted on X. “Please respond to the HR email carefully with regard to confidentiality and our duties. Be general if you need to. If anyone gives you problems, I’ve got your back. You’re good.”

The Saturday afternoon message from the Office of Personnel Management advised government workers not to send “classified information, links, or attachments.”