(The Center Square) – A Virginia lawmaker is warning that volunteers with the Department of Government Efficiency could face legal risks and potential criminal penalties under federal ethics laws.
Rep. Gerald Connolly, D-Va., a ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, raised concerns that unpaid volunteers embedded in federal agencies may be subject to conflict-of-interest laws and financial disclosure requirements but lack the formal training and protections given to federal employees.
Connolly sent letters to the heads of 24 federal agencies, urging them to clarify their plans for implementing a Feb. 26, 2025, Office of Personnel Management memo that directed agencies to start preparing for reductions in force (RIF) and reorganization plans under the Trump administration’s Workforce Optimization Initiative.
The executive order mandates federal agencies to implement workforce reductions and reorganizations, including a hiring ratio of one new employee for every four departures, and instructs agencies to eliminate nonessential functions, consolidate duplicative roles, and reduce full-time equivalent positions.
The plan could impact Virginia, home to more than 140,000 federal employees, one of the highest concentrations in the country.
“The actions outlined in this memo will further enable the Administration’s political purge of dedicated civil servants from federal agencies,” Connolly wrote. “The Administration has already engaged in illegal RIFs, deep funding cuts that endanger many of our government’s life-saving missions, and the unlawful wholesale dismantlement of congressionally authorized federal agencies. This memo seeks to accelerate and expand these actions across the government.”
Federal ethics laws, including 18 U.S. Code § 208, prohibit government officials from participating in decisions where they have a financial interest, and violations can result in criminal penalties. Connolly argues that DOGE volunteers who do not undergo the same hiring and vetting process as full-time employees may be unaware of their legal obligations, which he says could potentially lead to conflicts of interest or misuse of official resources.
The letters stem from a broader effort by Connolly and other lawmakers to scrutinize the administration’s restructuring of the federal workforce. On Feb. 3, Connolly sent a letter to President Donald Trump, questioning the legality of the administration’s deferred resignation program. The program allows nearly all federal workers to resign from their posts now and retain full pay and benefits through Sept. 30. Connolly called it an “illegal scam” that he warned would weaken civil services and harm the public.
Leaders in Virginia have also raised concerns about how these reductions could impact the economy, given that Northern Virginia is a major driver of job growth and tax revenue.
Connolly led 141 House Democrats to send a letter on Mar. 6, 2025, urging the halt of planned RIFs and the reinstatement of probationary federal employees.
“Our offices have received countless reports that individuals who were terminated under this RIF order based on ‘performance’ had documented excellent performance records and, in some cases, were employed by the federal government for decades,” the members emphasized.
