U.S. OPM Proposes Mandatory Nondisclosure Agreements for All Federal Employees
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has proposed a rule requiring all federal employees to sign a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) barring disclosure of confidential internal information, citing recent media leaks. Critics warn the NDA, combined with OPM’s new authority to assess employee suitability, could enable the Trump administration to purge disloyal workers while undermining whistleblower protections and First Amendment rights. Exceptions for Congress or inspectors general are deemed ineffective due to politicized oversight. The proposal is open for a 30-day comment period.
Cross-source coverage
Wire timeline
NDA proposal for federal employees draws scrutiny from Congressman Krishnamoorthi
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) has raised serious concerns about the Trump administration's proposal to require all federal employees to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). In a letter to OPM Director Scott Kupor, Krishnamoorthi argued the NDA is over-broad, threatens constitutional rights, and creates a chilling effect on whistleblowers. He criticized the undefined term 'confidential' information and questioned whether the policy would apply equally to career employees and political appointees, noting the omission of the Hegseth Signal leak. The proposal, which bars disclosure of internal operations, personnel matters, and pre-decisional material, has drawn outcry from civil service groups and employment lawyers.
Government Executive - All ContentNDA proposal for federal employees draws congressional scrutiny
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., expressed serious concerns about the Trump administration's proposal requiring all federal employees to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). In a letter to OPM Director Scott Kupor, Krishnamoorthi argued the NDA is overbroad, threatens constitutional rights, and creates a chilling effect on whistleblowers. He criticized the undefined term 'confidential' information, which could leave employees uncertain about permissible disclosures. The congressman demanded OPM's legal analysis on First Amendment and Whistleblower Protection Act compliance, definitions of confidential information, consequences for refusing to sign, and whether the policy applies equally to career employees and political appointees. He also noted the irony that OPM cited unauthorized press leaks as justification while the administration's own Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth leaked operational military details via Signal, questioning whether the policy targets career civil servants who report wrongdoing.
Government Executive - All ContentOPM proposes requiring all federal employees to sign a nondisclosure agreement
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced a proposal requiring all federal employees to sign a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) barring disclosure of confidential, pre-decisional, or deliberative government information. The move, set for publication in the Federal Register, cites recent media leaks of internal policy proposals. Experts warn the NDA, combined with OPM's new authority to target employee suitability for federal employment, creates a pathway for the Trump administration to purge workers deemed insufficiently loyal. The draft NDA includes exceptions for whistleblower disclosures to Congress or inspectors general, but employment lawyers call these exceptions ineffective, noting that internal channels are often overburdened or politically captured. Critics argue the NDA violates First Amendment rights and the Whistleblower Protection Act, and that existing rules already govern unauthorized disclosures. The proposal is open for a 30-day comment period before a final draft is released.
Government Executive - All ContentOPM Proposes Requiring All Federal Employees to Sign a Nondisclosure Agreement
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced a proposal requiring all federal employees to sign a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) barring them from disclosing confidential, pre-decisional, or deliberative government information. The move, set for publication in the Federal Register, cites recent unauthorized disclosures of internal policy proposals. Experts warn the NDA, combined with OPM's new authority to target employees' suitability for federal employment, creates a pathway for the Trump administration to purge those deemed insufficiently loyal. While the draft NDA includes exceptions for whistleblower disclosures to Congress or inspectors general, employment attorneys argue these are ineffective 'lip service' given the politicization of oversight channels. Critics say the overbroad language threatens First Amendment rights and existing whistleblower protections, potentially creating a new class of firings shielded from Merit Systems Protection Board review.
Government Executive - All ContentOPM Proposes Requiring All Federal Employees to Sign Nondisclosure Agreement
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has proposed requiring all federal employees to sign a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) barring disclosure of confidential information, including internal operations, personnel matters, and pre-decisional material. Experts warn the measure, combined with OPM's new power to target employee suitability, creates a pathway for the Trump administration to purge those deemed insufficiently loyal. The draft NDA includes exceptions for whistleblower disclosures to Congress or inspectors general, but employment attorneys call these exceptions ineffective 'lip service,' noting that internal channels are often overburdened or politically captured. Critics argue the NDA violates First Amendment rights and the Whistleblower Protection Act, and could lead to firings shielded from Merit Systems Protection Board oversight. OPM justified the rule by citing recent leaks of internal government documents to the press.
Defense One - All ContentOPM Proposes Requiring All Federal Employees to Sign Nondisclosure Agreement
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has proposed requiring all federal employees to sign a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) barring disclosure of confidential information, including internal operations, personnel matters, and pre-decisional materials. Experts warn the measure, combined with OPM's new authority to target employee suitability, creates a pathway for the Trump administration to purge disloyal workers. The draft NDA includes exceptions for whistleblower disclosures to Congress or inspectors general, but attorneys argue these are ineffective 'lip service' given political capture of oversight bodies. Critics say the NDA violates First Amendment rights and the Whistleblower Protection Act, and could shield firings from Merit Systems Protection Board review. OPM justified the rule by citing recent media leaks of internal proposals. A 30-day comment period precedes finalization.
Defense One - All ContentOPM Proposes Requiring All Federal Employees to Sign Nondisclosure Agreement
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has proposed a rule requiring all federal employees to sign a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) barring disclosure of confidential internal information, including pre-decisional documents and personnel matters. The move, announced in a Federal Register filing, cites recent media leaks of controversial policy proposals. Experts warn the NDA, combined with OPM's new authority to target employee suitability for federal employment, could create a pathway for the Trump administration to purge disloyal workers while undermining whistleblower protections and First Amendment rights. The draft NDA includes exceptions for disclosures to Congress or inspectors general, but employment attorneys argue these are ineffective given current political pressures and backlogs. The proposal is open for a 30-day comment period before a final rule is issued.
Defense One - All ContentOPM proposes requiring all feds to sign an NDA
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has proposed requiring all federal employees to sign a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) barring them from disclosing confidential internal information, including pre-decisional and deliberative materials. The move, set for publication in the Federal Register, cites recent media leaks of controversial policy proposals. Experts warn the NDA, combined with OPM's new authority to target employee suitability for federal employment, creates a pathway for the Trump administration to purge workers deemed insufficiently loyal. While the draft NDA includes exceptions for whistleblower disclosures to Congress or inspectors general, employment attorneys argue these exceptions are ineffective due to overburdened or politically captured oversight channels. The proposal could lead to firings shielded from Merit Systems Protection Board review, with affected employees barred from rehire for up to five years.
Government Executive - All Content