Monitoring Federal Workers

At the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), some managers were told Musk’s team would use AI monitoring to watch employee messages. They were warned to avoid saying or writing anything critical of Trump or Musk.

Since January, the EPA has placed about 600 workers on leave. Officials also plan to cut 65% of the agency's budget, which may lead to even more layoffs. The administration wants to remove workers who don’t align with its goals, according to people familiar with the situation.

The DOGE team has reportedly tapped into communication tools like Microsoft Teams to find any anti-Trump or anti-Musk language. One EPA manager told staff, “Be careful what you say, what you type, and what you do.”

The EPA didn’t respond to questions about these claims.

AI to Replace Government Workers?

Musk has said DOGE is meant to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse in the government. His goal is to cut $1 trillion in spending, which is about 15% of the federal budget.

Before Trump’s election, Musk spoke about using AI in government to replace human workers. A source said he wanted to create a powerful AI system using federal data. This AI could then take over some of the work done by public servants.

But under U.S. ethics laws, Musk is not allowed to make decisions that benefit him or his companies. He’s working as a special government employee and must follow strict rules.

Bypassing Rules and Avoiding Oversight

Sources say DOGE workers are using Google Docs to edit official documents at the same time. This avoids the usual process of drafting and reviewing one version at a time. While this helps them move fast, it also avoids important checks and could violate document-handling rules.

Some DOGE members are skipping the normal vetting process for official files. They’re not using approved government systems, which makes it harder for the public to access these records.

The Trump administration claims DOGE isn’t required to follow transparency laws like the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) because it’s part of the Executive Office of the President. But a federal judge disagreed. On March 10, the judge ordered DOGE to release records to Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). So far, no documents have been handed over.

Growing Control, Growing Concern

DOGE staff are making big changes at several agencies. Some workers say they’re being kept in the dark about key decisions. At the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), DOGE locked employees out of a database with personal information on millions of federal workers.

Only two people now have access to that database: one career staffer and Greg Hogan, a Trump appointee who used to work at an AI startup. Over 100 OPM tech staff lost access in late January.

Musk’s team has also placed tighter controls across other agencies. As DOGE gets deeper into the government’s digital systems, critics say it’s becoming harder to know what the team is doing — or why.

Democrats say Musk and Trump are trying to remove non-partisan employees and install loyalists. Even some Republicans and independents have expressed concern about DOGE’s approach.

Ethics experts believe the use of AI to monitor employees and the lack of transparency could be dangerous. They warn that this level of control over speech and behavior could damage the foundation of public service.

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