‘Elon is my prophet’: how Musk’s Doge team took a wrecking ball to Washington
When the new ‘department of government efficiency’ sent young techies to disrupt federal agencies, not everyone complied. Here’s what happened when one worker fought to protect immigrant data In the early hours of Saturday 22 February 2025 the following email landed in the inboxes of the entire US federal workforce: From: HR hr@opm.gov Continue reading...
In February 2025, a mysterious individual named Gavin Kliger arrived at the IRS headquarters unannounced and demanded access to sensitive government systems. The young man, dressed in black and sporting a chip on his shoulder, claimed he came to "root out the fraud" in the IRS. A series of phone calls and meetings ensued, with officials from Treasury and the Office of Personnel Management trying to navigate the situation.
Traci DiMartini, the IRS's chief privacy officer, ultimately explained to Gavin the strict rules surrounding access to government systems and taxpayer information. Despite her attempts to educate him, Gavin remained insistent on immediate access, leading to a tense standoff. The episode highlighted the challenges of integrating new political appointees into federal agencies and the importance of adhering to strict security protocols.
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