Trump administration proposes NDAs for federal workers to crack down on leaks to journalists

By Courtney Rozen

WASHINGTON, May 26 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration on Tuesday proposed asking federal employees to sign non-disclosure agreements with the goal of preventing them from sharing confidential information with journalists. 

The Office of Personnel Management, the human resources office for the U.S. government, released a draft non-disclosure agreement designed for federal agencies to use with new and existing employees. Under the draft agreement, the administration could pursue civil and criminal penalties against employees who violate it. The U.S. government would be entitled to all “royalties” that employees receive from disclosing information that violates the agreement, according to the draft. The OPM did not immediately offer further explanation.

The draft form is the latest step in the president’s effort to exert more control over U.S. government workers and the flow of information to the public.

“This move is rooted in concerns that unauthorized disclosures of sensitive government information are disrupting agency operations and eroding trust across government,” said OPM spokesperson McLaurine Pinover in an email to Reuters. 

Former government employees would need “written permission from an authorized agency official” to speak to journalists about information the Trump administration deems “confidential” after leaving their jobs, according to the draft. Former employees who violate that rule could be subject to civil and criminal penalties, according to the draft. 

Federal law prohibits government retaliation against federal workers who disclose fraud, abuse and misconduct in their workplaces to internal government watchdogs and Congress. The NDA would not apply to those disclosures, according to the draft agreement.

Since taking office for the second time, Trump has waged an aggressive campaign against news outlets and media figures he sees as too critical of him. He has filed lawsuits against news outlets, dismissed coverage as “fake news,” and personally attacked journalists. His administration banned the Associated Press from the White ​House press pool and restricted reporters’ access at the Pentagon, the headquarters of the U.S. military, among other moves.

(Reporting by Courtney Rozen; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Rod Nickel)