FBI Director Kash Patel has issued a directive to employees advising them to hold off on responding to an email sent at the behest of tech billionaire Elon Musk, which asked federal workers to list their accomplishments from the previous week.
In a memo obtained by NewsNation, Patel clarified that the FBI would manage future responses to inquiries from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The email, which was sent under Musk’s direction, requested federal employees to outline their weekly achievements.
“FBI personnel may have received an email from OPM requesting information,” Patel wrote in his message. “The FBI, through the Office of the Director, is responsible for overseeing all of our review processes and will conduct these reviews in accordance with FBI procedures.”
He continued, “If and when further information is needed, we will coordinate responses. For now, please pause any responses.”
Musk, who has been instrumental in pushing the White House’s efforts to reduce the size of the federal government, announced on his social media platform, X, that federal employees would soon receive an email “requesting to understand what they got done last week.” Musk added a controversial statement, saying, “Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.”
The email, reviewed by The Hill, instructed federal employees to “please reply with approximately five bullet points of what you accomplished last week,” and to copy their manager, by 11:59 p.m. EST Monday.
The FBI is not the only agency advising its staff to hold off on responding. NBC News reported that the State Department also told its employees not to engage with the email, at least for the time being.
“The State Department will respond on behalf of the Department. No employee is obligated to report their activities outside of their Department chain of command,” said a notice from Tibor Nagy, acting under secretary for management at the State Department.
The Hill has reached out to the State Department for comment.
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