Trump administration proposes governmentwide NDAs

The Trump administration may ask all federal employees to sign nondisclosure agreements in order to prevent leaks to media organizations, according to a draft agreement posted by the Office of Personnel Management on Tuesday.

The draft notice states that “federal employees do not have discretion to disclose Confidential Government Information” and that unauthorized disclosure of such information disrupts agency operations and “erodes public trust.”

The proposed NDA — which individual agencies would have to elect to sign on to — would apply to a broad swath of government employees, including after they leave federal service.

Former employees who signed the NDA would be required to acquire “written permission from an authorized agency official” to speak about information the Trump administration declares “confidential.”

If an employee violates the rule, the administration could seek legal punishment — including financial restitution such as all “royalties” received from disclosing the confidential information.

A press release regarding the NDA emphasized that the template remains in compliance with federal protections for whistleblowers.

In a statement, OPM communications director McLaurine Pinover pointed to recent leaks involving planned immigration enforcement operations, disclosures to the media about a confidential U.S. operation before it occurred, and the release of personal information belonging to roughly 4,500 ICE employees. These leaks, Pinover said, “endangered agents, troops, and operational security.”

The draft agreement is the Trump administration latest attempt to crack down on media companies.

Since the start of his second term, President Donald Trump has filed lawsuits against multiple news organizations, banned certain reporters from covering White House events and pursued leak investigations, including seizing the devices of a reporter for The Washington Post.

His administration last year also implemented restrictions on journalists covering the Pentagon. Dozens of reporters eventually turned in their credentials rather than agree to the new restrictions.

المصدر: Politico