The rebuilding of the US federal government by President Donald Trump and his billionaire adviser Elon Musk is creating an unprecedented risk of espionage by laying off thousands of employees with insider knowledge and connections, security and intelligence experts warn.
The turmoil in Washington, with Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) laying off government agencies, offers an opportunity for the country's adversaries, such as Russia and China, to recruit whistleblowers, according to former U.S. officials.
On average, more than 100,000 U.S. federal employees leave their jobs each year, often for retirement or the private sector. By 2025, meanwhile, that number is reportedly already many times higher, although there is no official tally of the total number of those laid off or resigning.
"This happens in good times - someone in the intelligence community who, for personal financial or other reasons, walks into an embassy to sell out America - but DOGE takes it to a whole new level," He said John Schindlera former U.S. counterintelligence officer. "Someone's going to do something naughty," He added. "It's just a question of how bad it gets."
The most notorious cases in recent history involved former FBI agent Robert Hanssen and former CIA officer Aldrich Ames, both of whom spied for Russia. Hanssen revealed details that authorities say contributed in part to the exposure of U.S. informants in Russia who were later executed for working on behalf of Washington.
Security secrets
However, according to experts, it is not only intelligence officers who pose a potential security risk. Many ministries and agencies oversee sensitive national security information and government operations. Departing employees could also divulge security secrets that would give someone access to government databases or physical offices.
For example, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative holds information about trade negotiations that could help an adversary undermine Washington, Pentagon databases contain a wealth of sensitive information about U.S. military capabilities, and the Department of Energy oversees closely guarded nuclear secrets.
"This information is very valuable, and we should not be surprised that Russia and China and other organizations - such as crime syndicates - will aggressively recruit government employees," she said Theresa Payton, former White House chief information officer under President George W. Bush, who now runs a cybersecurity firm.
However, only a tiny fraction of the many millions of people who worked for the federal government were accused of espionage. According to Payton, the vast majority are conscientious patriots who would never sell out their country.
The background checks, employee training and exit interviews are designed to prevent whistleblowers or spies - and to remind departing federal employees of their obligation to protect national secrets even after leaving federal service, experts said.
DOGE faces nearly two dozen lawsuits challenging the true extent and legality of the federal government's spending cuts.
Last week, a judge in Maryland found that dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) was likely unconstitutional - and blocked DOGE indefinitely from making further cuts to the agency.
euronews/ gnews.cz - RoZ
PHOTO - YouTube Chris Norlund
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