"Right-leaning groups have filed tens of thousands of information requests as Donald Trump plans a scorched-earth reign over civil servants."
"As former President Donald Trump vows to “shatter the deep state” and make it easier to fire “rogue bureaucrats,” some of his former aides and conservative think tanks have been collecting federal officials’ internal emails.
The expansive public records requests — including some that target career civil servants’ communications — are causing concern among government employees and their allies who fear that a second Trump administration might try to use the information they obtain to purge career workers from the federal government.
Conservative groups and activists have filed tens of thousands of Freedom of Information Act requests for federal employees’ emails throughout President Joe Biden’s time in the White House, according to records reviewed by POLITICO’s E&E News. The groups are seeking a broad range of documents, including specific requests for civil servants’ communications that could potentially be used to oust or target employees suspected of disloyalty to Trump. The groups have also requested details about political appointees schedules and meetings, as well as communications with congressional offices."
Robin Bravender reports for E&E News October 30, 2024.