A small group of protesters demonstrated outside the Office of Personnel Management in Washington, D.C., over concerns about Elon Musk’s associates accessing sensitive personal data of millions of federal employees. The protesters, carrying signs that read “fork this” and “get the fork out of my data,” chanted slogans criticizing the situation.
Stephanie LaTour, a former government lawyer who traveled from Brooklyn to join the protest, expressed her outrage about the situation. She argued that President Trump and Musk are attempting to subvert the law and enact their agenda, which she believes is a “cyber coup” against the federal employees.
LaTour’s concerns are shared by Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), who condemned “Musk’s hostile takeover” of OPM. The lawmaker stated that the actions will have disastrous consequences for civil servants and the American people.
The protest comes after reports emerged that Musk’s allies have been installed in leadership positions at OPM and the General Services Administration, which handles federal real estate and technology. Federal employees received an email offering full pay and benefits if they resign by a specific date, allegedly using a system that was installed without following procurement and cybersecurity laws.
A lawsuit filed by unnamed federal employees alleges that OPM ignored these laws to install the system. The situation has raised concerns about the security of sensitive personal data and the potential for exploitation by Musk’s allies.
Source: https://www.govexec.com/transition/2025/02/robbery-progress-small-group-protests-opm-over-musk-allies-access-federal-employee-personal-data/402694