The Trump administration could require all federal workers to signal nondisclosure agreements in an effort to limit leaks which might be thought of to be a “widespread” challenge throughout the federal authorities, in line with a current proposal.
Following current “unauthorized disclosures,” the Workplace of Personnel Administration on Tuesday introduced its intention of drafting a governmentwide NDA that businesses can implement at their discretion for employees who’ve entry to delicate info, akin to personnel information and operational plans.
“OPM believes that a regular NDA type will promote consistency throughout authorities, higher defend confidential info and higher inform federal workers of their rights and obligations concerning confidential info,” the proposal reads.
OPM’s proposal was printed Wednesday within the Federal Register and opened a 30-day public remark interval by means of June 26.
The OPM stated the transfer follows a number of current leaks of inner authorities info.
“There have been a number of current cases during which inner company communications associated to rulemaking and coverage improvement had been disclosed with out authorization,” the proposal says.
“Such disclosures threat chilling candid interagency suggestions, disrupting orderly decision-making and weakening belief inside and amongst federal businesses,” the proposal continues.
The draft lists a number of examples, with one relationship again to 2022 when a Supreme Court docket opinion overturning abortion rights was leaked to a reporter, prompting the Court docket to implement its personal NDA in 2024.
The proposal cited a 2025 incident during which a number of Federal Bureau of Investigation and Division of Homeland Safety employees launched immigration enforcement plans when unauthorized to take action.
Extra lately, in early January 2026, the proposal additionally claims that the New York Occasions and Washington Submit obtained unauthorized disclosures from federal workers in regards to the deliberate U.S. raid on Venezuela earlier than it started, which prompted the organizations to postpone “publishing what they knew to keep away from endangering US troops.”
The New York Occasions disputes that assertion.
“Opposite to some claims, nevertheless, The Occasions didn’t have verified particulars in regards to the pending operation to seize Maduro or a narrative ready, nor did we withhold publication on the request of the Trump administration,” the New York Occasions Government Editor Joe Kahn wrote in January 2026 in response to questions from readers.
OPM’s announcement comes lower than two months after President Donald Trump vowed to search out the “leaker” behind the discharge of data involving a lacking U.S. airman from a downed fighter jet in Iran. In an early April press convention, Trump didn’t specify which media firm obtained the leak however did threaten to place the reporter in jail in the event that they, or their group, didn’t disclose their supply.
OPM beforehand printed a separate rule in June 2025 addressing federal worker “suitability and health” necessities with nondisclosure necessities.
The draft says that the NDA might be an “Non-obligatory Type,” permitting federal businesses to resolve for themselves whether or not or to not use the settlement. If an company decides to make use of the NDA, it will be given to new hires in addition to present workers.
Although the draft says that the proposal isn’t meant to implement “new substantive restrictions on worker speech or disclosure rights,” union leaders have criticized the transfer, calling it pointless and warning it might silence employees.
“This proposed NDA is one other try by the administration to purge the civil service of nonpartisan profession workers and change them with loyalists who gained’t communicate out in opposition to waste, fraud and abuse,” Everett Kelley, the nationwide president of the American Federation of Authorities Staff, the biggest federal worker union, stated in an announcement.
Doreen Greenwald, the president of the second largest federal worker union, Nationwide Treasury Staff Union, stated there was “no foundation” for this motion and that the union would oppose the proposal.
“Present legislation protects our nation’s secrets and techniques. Non-disclosure agreements would preemptively chill First Modification-protected speech and dissuade protected whistleblowing exercise,” Greenwald stated in a launch.
There are at present over two million federal workers, in line with OPM, with the biggest share of employees serving within the Division of Protection and the Division of Veterans Affairs.
Cristina Stassis is a reporter protecting tales surrounding the protection trade, nationwide safety, army/veteran affairs and extra. She beforehand labored as an editorial fellow for Protection Information in 2024 the place she assisted the newsroom in breaking information throughout Sightline Media Group.
