In an effort spearheaded by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk to streamline the US government by cutting thousands of jobs and significantly reducing salaries, there have been concerns about the potential exposure of CIA personnel.
The agency, complying with a White House directive, distributed an unclassified email listing new hires from the past two years.
Contrary to standard procedure, which typically involves withholding employee identities in unclassified systems, the CIA released these names to align with Trump’s executive order aimed at shrinking the federal workforce.
This decision has drawn criticism as ‘disastrous’ and ‘concerning,’ with former officials expressing worries that inexperienced individuals working alongside Trump and Musk may inadvertently make these names more accessible to foreign intelligence agencies.
Elon Musk, leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has raised fears that this sensitive information might be shared with one of his newly-formed teams.
“I am very concerned that the CIA shared identifying details about its officers on an unclassified system,” commented Representative Jim Himes, a Connecticut Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, as reported by The Hill.
“Those details are secret for a reason — because protecting the identities of CIA employees is critical to their safety and mission, a mission that helps keep Americans safe every day.
“From what I have learned, the CIA should not have transmitted these names in this fashion, nor should the White House have insisted on such a clearly irresponsible approach, one that could genuinely put people in danger.
“I am also deeply concerned by the backdrop of this request, which appears to be an interest in firing provisional employees en masse.”
Virginian Senator Mark Warner also criticized the decision on social media, stating: “Exposing the identities of officials who do extremely sensitive work would put a direct target on their backs for China. A disastrous national security development.”
The partial list sent from the CIA under White House orders included employees’ first names and the initial of their last names, with some operatives specifically focusing on China.
Their identities are usually closely guarded to protect against ongoing efforts by Chinese hackers to uncover them.
A source related to CNN indicated that some employees have ‘uncommon’ first names, making them easily identifiable through existing online information.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the CIA is offering substantial buyouts to employees, a measure previously offered to a large number of federal workers.
These buyouts, in exchange for resignations, include eight months of pay and additional benefits to encourage employees to depart.
The buyouts are intended to align the CIA more closely with President Trump’s goals and ideas.
The report states, “The CIA appeared to be the first intelligence agency to tell its employees that they can quit their jobs and receive about eight months of pay and benefits as part of Trump’s push to downsize the federal government.”
Employees have until 11:59pm on Thursday, February 6, to decide on the offer, with the Office of Personnel Management indicating that the deadline is firm.