Federal Employees on Partisan Shutdown Emails for New York Times

In the lead up to the shutdown, employees across government received emails from agency leaders containing similar sentiments to those in the SBA email. An email from HUD’s deputy secretary Andrew Hughes on the evening of September 30 included the subject line, “Far Left Gov Shutdown Imminent” and included instructions for HUD employees during the shutdown. An email received by employees at the Department of the Interior (DOI), with a signature from Secretary Doug Burgum, read, “President Trump opposes a government shutdown, and strongly supports the enactment of HR 5371, which is a clean Continuing Resolution to fund the government through November 21, and already passed the US House of Representatives. Unfortunately, Democrats are blocking this Continuing Resolution in the US Senate due to unrelated policy demands.” A nearly identical email was sent out to employees at the Small Business Administration (SBA) from the email associated with the Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO). "The tone of the language is very antagonistic and partisan in a way we don’t expect from formal messaging from agency leaders," says Moynihan. “If you had a federal employee who emailed their colleagues blaming president Trump for the shut down, they’d be pursued for a Hatch Act violation and probably fired in the meantime.” In a memo posted on X that appeared to be sent to the heads of executive departments and agencies, Russell Vought, the head of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), alleged that the government was shutting down due to “insane policy demands” from Democrats.