January 29th, 2025

Elon Musk Lackeys Have Taken over the Office of Personnel Management

Elon Musk's associates are now in key positions at the OPM, raising concerns about politicization, undermining neutrality, and the potential impact of AI monitoring on federal workforce governance.

Read original articleLink Icon
Elon Musk Lackeys Have Taken over the Office of Personnel Management

Elon Musk's influence has reportedly extended to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), with several individuals connected to his companies, including xAI, Neuralink, and the Boring Company, now occupying key positions within the agency. This shift follows a broader trend initiated by former President Donald Trump's executive orders, which aimed to politicize the federal workforce. Notably, Amanda Scales, previously with xAI, has been appointed as the OPM's chief of staff, while Scott Kupor, a partner at Andreessen Horowitz, is nominated to lead the agency. Critics express concern that this influx of tech industry personnel could lead to a more politically motivated OPM, undermining its traditional role as a neutral human resources body for the federal government. The new leadership is seen as part of a strategy to implement Trump's "Schedule F" plan, which would allow for the reclassification of civil service jobs as political appointments, facilitating the removal of career civil servants in favor of political loyalists. Experts warn that the use of technology and AI in monitoring employees could lead to significant errors and a culture of distrust, reminiscent of authoritarian regimes. The OPM has not commented on these developments, which have raised alarms about the potential erosion of nonpartisan governance in the federal workforce.

- Elon Musk's associates have taken prominent roles in the OPM.

- The changes align with Trump's executive orders aimed at politicizing federal jobs.

- Critics fear a shift towards a politically motivated OPM undermining its neutrality.

- The "Schedule F" plan could facilitate the removal of career civil servants.

- Concerns exist over the use of AI for employee monitoring and potential errors.

Link Icon 3 comments
By @ChrisArchitect - 3 months
Related:

Trump offering buyouts to all federal workers

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42858689

Trump Offers Buyouts to Federal Employees in Bid to Cut Workforce

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42859877

Deferred resignation email to federal employees

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42859552

By @nxobject - 3 months
By @bn-l - 3 months
What is this story? Where is the controversy here?