Elon Musk Laid Off Thousands of Federal Employees. China and Russia Want to Recruit Them as Spies

Ever since President Donald Trump appointed SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to manage the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), federal employees have been a target for the billionaire. Instead of viewing them just as government employees, Musk has openly criticized them and even fired thousands.

This situation has created an opportunity for U.S. adversaries such as China, Russia, and North Korea, who may seek to approach fired federal employees. They could use the anger these individuals likely feel toward Musk to recruit them as informants.

Fishing in troubled waters. According to CBS News, around 100,000 federal employees leave their positions each year for several reasons, including retirement, new opportunities, and career changes. However, the recent wave of layoffs has fostered significant resentment and unrest within the government. 113,361 federal employees were fired indiscriminately.

CNN recently reported that this could become a fertile ground for Russia, China, North Korea, and other countries. U.S. enemies could recruit those federal employees who once had access to sensitive information. “It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to see that these cast aside federal workers with a wealth of institutional knowledge represent staggeringly attractive targets to the intelligence services of our competitors and adversaries,” a source close to the government told the outlet.

LinkedIn: a job board for spies. Intelligence sources told CNN that both Russia and China are focusing their efforts on recruiting former federal employees who had access to sensitive information. The efforts focus on officials from the Department of Energy and the Pentagon who once worked with information that could undermine national security and strategic interests.

“This information is highly valuable, and it shouldn’t be surprising that Russia and China and other organizations–criminal syndicates for instance–would be aggressively recruiting government employees,” Theresa Payton, former chief information officer at the White House, told CBS News.

According to CBS News, at least two countries have established recruitment websites and are actively seeking federal employees on LinkedIn. John Schindler, a former counterintelligence official, pointed out that it’s very easy to find these employees now. “You go on LinkedIn, you see someone who was ‘formerly at Department of Defense now looking for work’ and it’s like, ‘Bingo,’” Schindler said. In the past, Soviet intelligence officers had to wait for disgruntled former employees to reach out to them. Now, they can simply advertise on LinkedIn.

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Fake job offers. CBS News also pointed out one of the easiest ways to approach a recently laid-off employee. Agents can contact them through LinkedIn and offer a job interview for a nonexistent position. During the interview, they can assess whether the potential recruit has access to valuable information. They might then hire these individuals as “consultants” for a front company. They could also compensate them for their expertise while keeping them unaware that they’re providing intelligence to a foreign adversary.

In short, the new company could use former federal employees to discreetly gather information without their knowledge.

Mass layoffs. One significant issue with mass layoffs in strategic departments is the absence of mitigation measures. Experts warn that the likelihood of an angry former employee reaching out to a foreign power increases as many federal employees become unemployed.

According to CNN, when an official leaves their position, they typically undergo an exit interview. This interview is designed to identify potential moles or informants. It’s also used to remind departing employees of their duty to safeguard sensitive information, and inform them of the security risks they may face. However, the recent DOGE layoffs haven’t followed these protocols.

Spies are eagerly taking notice. The New York Times reported that the expedited pace imposed by Musk to slash federal spending may have already put CIA agents and employees at risk.

In an effort to comply with Trump’s executive order to reduce staffing levels, the CIA sent the White House an email listing all new employees who had been with the agency for two years or less. This included CIA officers preparing for covert operations. The email was sent via an unclassified email server. Senator Mark Warner (D-Virginia), who serves as vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, labeled it “a disastrous national security development.”

Image | Bonnie Kittle

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