Trump Administration Alters Furloughed Federal Employees' Auto-Replies with Political Messages
Trump administration automatically changes furloughed federal employees' auto-replies to blame Democrats for the shutdown, raising Hatch Act violation concerns.
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Overview
- The Trump administration has been automatically altering the out-of-office email replies of furloughed federal employees to include political messages.
- These manipulated auto-replies explicitly blame Democrats for the ongoing government shutdown, presenting a partisan stance.
- Federal agencies, including the Education Department, Small Business Administration, and Department of Labor, were identified as having implemented these changes.
- Employees, particularly within the Education Department, reported that their out-of-office messages were changed without their prior knowledge or consent.
- Concerns have been raised by federal employees regarding potential Hatch Act violations, which prohibit political activity by federal staff while on duty.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this story by highlighting the Education Department's "manipulation" of furloughed employees' emails to include partisan messages. They emphasize the employees' surprise, ethical concerns, and potential Hatch Act violations, portraying the department's actions as an egregious overreach that forces civil servants into political advocacy against their will.
"But what the Education Department is doing goes further, pulling individual civil servants into the political talking points even if they don’t agree with them."
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FAQ
The altered auto-replies explicitly blame Democrats for the ongoing government shutdown, presenting a partisan viewpoint that they are responsible for the shutdown.
Federal agencies including the Education Department, Small Business Administration, and Department of Labor were identified as having altered employees' out-of-office auto-replies without their prior knowledge or consent.
The Hatch Act prohibits federal employees from engaging in political activities while on duty, and the automatic insertion of partisan political messages blaming Democrats in employees' official auto-replies may constitute prohibited political activity, thus raising concerns of Hatch Act violations.
Yes, federal employees have filed lawsuits challenging certain actions by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), including the use of unauthorized systems to send mass emails and concerns about privacy and legality of some administrative practices during the shutdown.
History
- This story does not have any previous versions.