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Dems to probe mystery ‘buyout’ server in redux of Trump Tower ‘Russian’ server hoax

February 5, 2025 | | Print Article

House Democrats are once again whining about the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) otherwise outstanding work.

This time their beef centers on an outside server that was used at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to email a resignation offer to the agency’s employees.

As previously reported, the “Fork in the Road” email contained an offer whereby employees could resign from their posts now but keep receiving pay until September 30th.

The problem with the email, Democrats claim in a new letter, written to acting OPM Director Charles Ezell, is that DOGE relied on an outside server to transmit it.

“We write concerning numerous reports that a server of unknown nature and origin was brought into the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) last week, connected to federal government networks, and used to access sensitive government data without regard for crucial security and privacy protections,” the letter reads.

“Just several days prior to the [sending of the resignation email], OPM did not have the capability to email a distribution list of this scale. Acquiring such a capability securely and in compliance with federal cybersecurity, privacy, and procurement laws would likely not have been possible in such a short timeframe,” it continues.

In other words, DOGE allegedly didn’t conduct proper oversight before bringing in the server and connecting it to the federal government’s computer system.

The letter continues with Democrats demanding a list of employees who installed the server, an explanation of “under what authority they were hired,” and confirmation on whether any of them received a proper background check.

The letter’s authors, House Oversight Committee ranking member Gerald Connolly and fellow committee member Shontel Brown, conclude it by positing all sorts of wild claims about DOGE’s use of an outside server.

“At best, the Trump Administration’s actions at OPM to date demonstrate gross negligence, severe incompetence, and a chaotic disregard for the security of our government data and the countless services it enables our agencies to provide to the public,” the letter reads.

“At worst, we fear that Trump Administration officials know full well that their actions threaten to break our government and put our citizens at risk of foreign adversaries like China and Russia gaining access to our sensitive data,” it continues.

This hubbub over privacy concerns comes shortly after three federal employees’ unions sued the U.S. Treasury Department for sharing confidential data with DOGE.

The Alliance for Retired Americans, the American Federation of Government Employees, and the Service Employees International Union claim in the lawsuit that DOGE’s work may have exposed the confidential records of millions of federal employees.

“The scale of the intrusion into individuals’ privacy is massive and unprecedented,” the lawsuit reads.

The suit goes on to pin the blame for everything on Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for granting DOGE access in the first place.

“Secretary Bessent’s action granting DOGE-affiliated individuals full, continuous, and ongoing access to that information for an unspecified period of time means that retirees, taxpayers, federal employees, companies, and other individuals from all walks of life have no assurance that their information will receive the protection that federal law affords,” the lawsuit reads.

“And because Defendants’ actions and decisions are shrouded in secrecy, individuals will not have even basic information about what personal or financial information that Defendants are sharing with outside parties or how their information is being used,” it continues.

Congressional Democrats have also jumped on this information bandwagon.

“[Senate Minority Leader Chuck] Schumer and Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries said they were working on legislation aimed at beefing up safeguards to protect the confidential and personal information contained in the Treasury’s payments system,” according to Politico.

Vivek Saxena
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