Kash Patel tells FBI staff to ignore Elon Musk's productivity email as signs of power struggles emerge in D.C.: reports

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Independent

Sunday 23 February 2025 05:57 GMT


Elon Musk’s email ultimatum to federal workers, sent as part of his supposedly unofficial role as the leader of the Department of Government Efficiency, is facing pushback from across Washington, D.C. just hours after it was sent.
And some of the backlash is coming from unexpected corners of the Trump administration, perhaps teasing early signs of power struggles to come.

“Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week,” Musk wrote Saturday afternoon. “Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.” Federal workers received an email from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) asking, “What did you do last week?”

They were instructed to reply with five bullet points outlining their accomplishments in the previous seven days, excluding any classified information. A deadline of 11:59 p.m. EST on Monday was given. Understandably, the email triggered confusion and questions about the legality of Musk's move. According to a White House legal filing, Musk officially has no federal government role or authority.

The most strident response came from the FBI and its newly sworn-in director, Kash Patel. He sent his own email to employees to clarify where the bureau stood. “FBI personnel may have received an email from OPM requesting information. The FBI, through the Office of the Director, is in charge of all of our review processes and will conduct reviews in accordance with FBI procedures,” Patel wrote, according to an NBC report. “When and if further information is required, we will coordinate the responses. For now, please pause any responses.”

Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/musk-doge-email-federal-workers-b2703006.html

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Love it.

Palace intrigue

[Walleye]

2. Oh Elon, did you hear what Kash said? I think he's not giving you the respect you deserve

Let’s stir up some shit between these two. Kash said something like, your mama

[Dem4life1234]

33. This circus is wild!

May they all destroy each other!

[Klarkashton]

3. Looks like the whole circus is out of control.

This is really serious shit too.

[J_William_Ryan]

4. Patel is an authorized government official, confirmed by the Senate - unfortunately.

Musk is not.

[TomJulie]

6. Unfortunately...

Biden appointed many to his Administration that didn't need Congressional approval.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_appointments_by_Joe_Biden

[BumRushDaShow]

9. The non-Senate confirmed people are LIMITED regarding what roles they are allowed to have as an "Acting"

[Hekate]

10. This is normal. There's something called The Plum Book that lists all political appointments...

The thing to understand is that all those jobs end the day a new POTUS is sworn in.

Funnily enough, the first time Trump & his clowns came to DC, they stood around wondering where all the admin assts and so forth were. This time around they were better prepared.

Don’t know when The Plum Book was first put together, but my impression when I was a young thing was there was probably a scroll in the National Archives (joke)

[Quanto Magnus]

22. Did Biden's appointments go around.....

....firing or threatening to fire everyone else?
....making unconstitutional orders?
....bring in a bunch of teenagers to troll through and possibly steal government information?
....gratuitously attempt to close entire government departments with no Congressional authority?

[TomJulie]

24. I Did Some Looking Into That...

Musk hasn't fired anyone. He doesn't have the power to fire anybody. He's only an advisor. He tells Trump what he finds and Trump takes it from there.

[TomJulie]

5. Had To Do A Very Similar...

job Q&A ticket every 3 to 6 months. It was done through company email and you had to complete it within 5 working days unless you were out on vacation or LOA. The only time it really bugged me was the first time I had to complete it. After that is was pretty much the same. The questions did vary some but nothing major. No one was singled out. Everybody had to do it.

[BumRushDaShow]

8. Most federal workers have to do some kind of work time reporting and tracking

because THAT is how Congress allocates money in appropriations laws that get apportioned out to the Departments and Agencies.

There is specific programmatic, literal "line item" work that Congress might very explicitly designate that needs to be done and will include how much is allocated for that particular fiscal year (or years) for that work. And that is given a code/codes in agency financial systems, and is accounted for. And Congress WILL ask for the reports on the obligations/spends and the time spent for it.

All this is going to do is show WHY some "private businesses" need to be AUDITED because no one obviously has any clue what is being done with their money, so they "project" that inadequacy onto the government.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

7. Clash of the Titans!

/s

[generalbetrayus]

11. The prime qualification for being nominated to a government position by Orange Julius Caesar

is that you have to be an asshole. In my experience, putting a bunch of assholes together in a single room is not asking, but BEGGING for an explosion. Let the popcorn popping begin!

[Mr. Evil]

12. Remember, back in grade school...

upon returning from summer vacation, you were instructed to write short theme on what you did during summer vacation?

This, to me, seems something akin to that. Like those federal employees are being treated like children. And Muskolini is the teacher.

If I was one of those employees I'd happily oblige him. Here's my reply email:

What did I do last week?
• I pissed on your picture
• I also shit on your picture
• I watched a video of one of your rockets exploding after its launch
• I watched you babble incoherently in the Oval Office while using one of your children as a prop
• I watched you act like a deranged lunatic during your dog & pony show on stage during your CPAC appearance

There. Happy now, Elon? Take some more Ketamine and go fuck yourself!
I quit, effective immediately!

[BumRushDaShow]

13. Apparently some did do stuff like that

There was all kinds of meme-worthy stuff out there last night.

Reminds me of this -

[Mr. Evil]

14. I wish I could rec this a million times!

"On the first day of my vacation, I woke up. Then, I went downtown. To look for a job. Then, I hung out in front of the drug store."
"On the second day of my summer vacation, I woke up. Then, I went downtown. To look for a job. Then, I hung out in front of the drug store."
"On the third day of my summer vacation, I woke up. Then, I went downtown. To look for a job. Then, I got a job. Keeping people from hanging out in front of the drug store."

[BumRushDaShow]

15. That record was a classic and I still have my 45 of it (with the original jacket)

Looks like this -

[Mr. Evil]

18. Oh, far out maaan!

Growing up with them and George Carlin were some of the few joys of my childhood. Thanx so much!

[BumRushDaShow]

19. Dr. Demento fan here!

[Mr. Evil]

20. Holy shit,

me too!

Also used to hit the King Biscuit Flower Hour and the Carver Sonic Holography shows. That's where I discovered Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush. Good times!

[3auld6phart]

26. LOL

amazing and disappointing ast what is happening down there. Do like your sense of humour.

[Mr. Evil]

31. We're with you all the way.

Just keep in mind what you're really witnessing down here is the greatest heist in the history of the world. Elon, TSF and the rest of the money junkies are taking everything they can (and that includes the real junkies... like Elon). They just can't help themselves. It's finally time for decent human beings to enlighten them.

[Mr. Evil]

32. Oh, thanx so much!

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

16. Let's have a cage match between Musk and Patel

I'd pay to watch that.

[newdeal2]

17. Patel has those crazy eyes

Plus Musk is heavily drugged.

I'm putting my money on the FBI guy.

[Jilly_in_VA]

27. BUT

Mush cannot bring the chain saw!

[Dem4life1234]

34. Musty looks like he was shoved in lockers

All talk, no game.

Patel's crazy Manson eyes would mollywhoop his ass. That mfer looks cray cray!

[Eugene]

21. State Department too - WaPo

Government agencies give conflicting guidance on Musk email (Washington Post)

The State Department told employees not to answer it. Employees at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency were told: Definitely reply. And in some parts of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, staffers received instructions to draft a response but not send it yet.

After Elon Musk led a move to email all 2.3 million government workers over the weekend asking them to share five bullet points detailing what they accomplished last week, chaos and confusion reigned. Agencies issued conflicting guidance, as did different divisions within the same agency, in some cases.

Raising the stakes, Musk warned in a post on X that any employee who failed to respond would be treated as having resigned. But the email sent to workers made no mention of this possible consequence, which lawyers said would be illegal.

On Sunday, a Republican lawmaker questioned the viability of the directive.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/government-agencies-conflicting-guidance-musk-170710552.html

[Deminpenn]

23. The Empires Strike Back

Once you are put in charge of a large number of employees, you have an empire. Imo, very few people are willing to give that up or any of the employees in it. In fact, they want to build their empire by getting more people in it. I think this is human nature, evolutionary biology even.

[Ursus Rex]

25. This is part of TSF's management style.

Underlings squabbling and fighting like hyenas so they aren't trying to take him out.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

28. Patel lied to the FBI agents about who would be deputy

The FBI Agents Association said in a memo that Patel had agreed to them that the deputy post would go to “an on-board, active Special Agent.” He then broke that commitment and hired Bongino.

Link to tweet

[exboyfil]

29. Might be the only correct thing he will do as Director

Hopefully in his short stint in the position.

[exboyfil]

30. I prepare a short weekly report to my supervisor

It is actually a pretty nice way to be accountable for your activity. He does read them and changes priorities as necessary.

That being said this micromanagement is BS especially for someone that isn't even in the reporting chain for these workers. What is the plan to have AI scan all reports? In most cases the report would be meaningless to anyone that isn't familiar with the organization.