Kash Patel, the newly minted head of the FBI, is making it clear the bureau doesn’t take marching orders from Elon Musk.
Mr. Patel directed FBI employees to disregard a request from Mr. Musk that each one federal staff present the work they’ve achieved within the final week or be fired.
“FBI personnel might have acquired an electronic mail from OPM requesting info,” Mr. Patel mentioned in his message to staff. “The FBI, by means of the Workplace of the Director, is in control of all of our overview processes, and can conduct opinions in accordance with FBI procedures. When and if additional info is required, we are going to coordinate the responses. For now, please pause any response.”
The message got here a day after Mr. Musk issued the justify-your-job ultimatum to all federal staff.
“Per President [Donald Trump’s] directions, all federal staff will shortly obtain an electronic mail requesting to grasp what they obtained performed final week,” Mr. Musk mentioned on X on Saturday. “Failure to reply will probably be taken as a resignation.”
The U.S. Workplace of Personnel Administration electronic mail went out to federal staff shortly after Mr. Musk’s tweet with the topic line, “What did you do final week?”
Included within the electronic mail have been directions for workers to listing “approx. 5 bullets of what you achieved final week and CC your supervisor,” and asks for federal staff to not listing any labeled info. Federal staff have till the tip of Monday to reply.
Nevertheless, Mr. Musk’s promise of termination for failure to conform seems nowhere within the electronic mail.
Mr. Musk is searching for to chop $1 trillion from the federal deficit.
Mr. Patel was sworn into his submit on Friday after the Senate confirmed his nomination by a 51-49 margin.
• Alex Miller contributed to this report.
