Federal employees have been instructed to disregard an email from Elon Musk requesting weekly accomplishment reports.
Musk, recently appointed by former President Donald Trump to lead efforts on government job cuts and spending, sent the email on Saturday through the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
In response, several agencies, including the FBI, FEMA, IRS, NOAA, CDC, and the Department of Energy, have directed their staff to ignore the message while awaiting further instructions.
FBI Director Kash Patel wrote in an email as quoted by The Mirror US: “FBI personnel may have received an email from OPM requesting information. The FBI… will conduct reviews in accordance with FBI procedures. For now, please pause any responses.”
Ambassador Tibor P. Nagy reassured State Department employees: “No employee is obligated to report their activities outside of their department chain of command.”
NOAA’s Rear Adm. Chad Cary stated the email “came as a surprise,” and the agency is seeking clarification. The IRS and CDC are also awaiting instructions.
Many agencies remain uncertain about how to respond, with some employees told to wait until further guidance is issued next week.