A federal prosecutor appointed by President Donald Trump says federal employees blocking Elon Musk’s DOGE staff could be breaking the law.
Acting U.S. Attorney Edward Martin sent out a letter on Feb 3 warning that he’s willing to take legal action against anyone who “impedes” the work or “threatens” employees with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
“Any threats, confrontations, or other actions in any way that impact their work may break numerous laws,” Martin wrote
. “Let me assure you of this: we will pursue any and all legal action against anyone who impedes your work or threatens your people.”Martin’s warning comes amid fallout between Musk’s team and federal employees across multiple departments. Career federal employees are reportedly working to counter Musk’s efforts with DOGE to access classified information without the proper authorization, Reuters reported.
Trump appointed Musk to lead DOGE, a
new department with an ambitious effort to slash the federal workforce and billions of dollars in government spending. However, there is growing concern that DOGE is being used to target agencies and programs that do not align with Trump’s isolationist “America First” agenda.So far, the Trump administration has removed two top security officials at the U.S. Agency for International Development for reportedly trying to stop DOGE representatives from gaining access to secure parts of the building.
A career Treasury Department official failed to stop the DOGE from gaining access to the agency’s payment system, The New York Times reported. The Trump administration ultimately pushed David Lebryk out from the Treasury Department. Lebryk oversaw more than $1 billion in payments the federal government sends each year.
“We will not act like the previous administration who looked the other way as the Antifa and BLM rioters, as well as thugs with guns, trashed our capital city,” said Martin. He signaled prosecution, adding, “We will protect DOGE and other workers no matter what.”
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