At least six USAID employees who believed they were fired earlier this year have now been informed they are under investigation by the agency’s internal HR office for giving unauthorised media interviews, despite thinking their employment had already ended.
The workers were among those affected by drastic staff cuts pushed by the department of government efficiency (DOGE), led until recently by Elon Musk.
According to CBS News, these employees received an email titled “Administrative inquiry,” accusing them of engaging with the press “without authorisation.”
The message warned of potential “disciplinary action,” including removal from the US Agency for International Development. The HR division handling the inquiry, Employment Labor Relations, is typically responsible for disciplinary and performance complaints.
Union leaders and legal experts have strongly condemned the move. “It’s total intimidation,” said Randy Chester, vice president of the American Foreign Service Association, which represents USAID employees.
Chester, whose union shared the email with CBS, said the messages began arriving on Monday.
Veteran Washington attorney Abbe Lowell, who recently launched a firm to defend public officials against retaliation, added, “Federal employees do not surrender their constitutional rights when they take public service jobs.” He called the USAID investigation “an attempt to silence criticism rather than enforce legitimate rules.”
The dispute follows months of chaos inside USAID, one of the first agencies targeted by Doge for workforce reductions.
On February 2, Elon Musk posted on X and wrote, “USAID is a criminal organisation. Time for it to die.” Days later, USAID headquarters were shuttered, and staff received instructions to vacate within 15 minutes, what many considered the end of their careers.
However, bureaucratic hurdles delayed formal terminations, leaving employees technically on the payroll.
While agency memos later clarified that most employees would be officially terminated by July 1 or September 2, some workers spoke to the press in February and March under the impression they had already been dismissed.
Chester said many felt speaking out was worth the risk. “It’s an effort to stifle anyone else from talking to the press,” he was quoted as saying by CBS. “These notices smack of an administration desperate to hide their mistakes.”
Investigations like this can take months to complete and typically end in limited suspensions. Chester called the process “a complete waste of time and government resources,” arguing that many of the HR officials handling these probes might themselves be unemployed before any resolution is reached.
The Trump administration’s decision to appoint Musk to run Doge sparked widespread criticism.
Though Musk claimed Doge saved $150 billion, experts have challenged that figure. According to The Guardian, analysts estimate Doge’s mass firings and disruptions could cost taxpayers $135 billion this year, factoring in severance, legal costs, and lost productivity.
Public policy expert Martha Gimbel described Doge as “the department of government slash and burn,” and was quoted by The Guardian, saying that it had failed to improve services and worsened essential functions like veterans’ care and IRS response times.
Max Stier of the Partnership for Public Service added that Doge’s cuts “burned down government capability” and were “sheer reckless behaviour.”
A state department spokesperson declined to comment on the internal investigations, was quoted by CBS News as saying that the agency does not discuss personnel matters.
As the July and September deadlines approach, those still technically employed at USAID say they feel caught in limbo—still on the books, but treated as targets for speaking up.
Chester warned that these intimidation tactics could have a “chilling effect” on other civil servants who might otherwise raise concerns.
The workers were among those affected by drastic staff cuts pushed by the department of government efficiency (DOGE), led until recently by Elon Musk.
According to CBS News, these employees received an email titled “Administrative inquiry,” accusing them of engaging with the press “without authorisation.”
The message warned of potential “disciplinary action,” including removal from the US Agency for International Development. The HR division handling the inquiry, Employment Labor Relations, is typically responsible for disciplinary and performance complaints.
Union leaders and legal experts have strongly condemned the move. “It’s total intimidation,” said Randy Chester, vice president of the American Foreign Service Association, which represents USAID employees.
Chester, whose union shared the email with CBS, said the messages began arriving on Monday.
Veteran Washington attorney Abbe Lowell, who recently launched a firm to defend public officials against retaliation, added, “Federal employees do not surrender their constitutional rights when they take public service jobs.” He called the USAID investigation “an attempt to silence criticism rather than enforce legitimate rules.”
The dispute follows months of chaos inside USAID, one of the first agencies targeted by Doge for workforce reductions.
On February 2, Elon Musk posted on X and wrote, “USAID is a criminal organisation. Time for it to die.” Days later, USAID headquarters were shuttered, and staff received instructions to vacate within 15 minutes, what many considered the end of their careers.
However, bureaucratic hurdles delayed formal terminations, leaving employees technically on the payroll.
While agency memos later clarified that most employees would be officially terminated by July 1 or September 2, some workers spoke to the press in February and March under the impression they had already been dismissed.
Chester said many felt speaking out was worth the risk. “It’s an effort to stifle anyone else from talking to the press,” he was quoted as saying by CBS. “These notices smack of an administration desperate to hide their mistakes.”
Investigations like this can take months to complete and typically end in limited suspensions. Chester called the process “a complete waste of time and government resources,” arguing that many of the HR officials handling these probes might themselves be unemployed before any resolution is reached.
The Trump administration’s decision to appoint Musk to run Doge sparked widespread criticism.
Though Musk claimed Doge saved $150 billion, experts have challenged that figure. According to The Guardian, analysts estimate Doge’s mass firings and disruptions could cost taxpayers $135 billion this year, factoring in severance, legal costs, and lost productivity.
Public policy expert Martha Gimbel described Doge as “the department of government slash and burn,” and was quoted by The Guardian, saying that it had failed to improve services and worsened essential functions like veterans’ care and IRS response times.
Max Stier of the Partnership for Public Service added that Doge’s cuts “burned down government capability” and were “sheer reckless behaviour.”
A state department spokesperson declined to comment on the internal investigations, was quoted by CBS News as saying that the agency does not discuss personnel matters.
As the July and September deadlines approach, those still technically employed at USAID say they feel caught in limbo—still on the books, but treated as targets for speaking up.
Chester warned that these intimidation tactics could have a “chilling effect” on other civil servants who might otherwise raise concerns.
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