Trump Energy Secretary Grants 23-Year-Old Unvetted Access to DOE Systems
Energy Secretary Chris Wright granted a SpaceX intern, Luke Farritor, access to the Energy Department’s IT systems despite objections from the department’s general counsel and chief information offices due to Farritor’s lack of security clearance. This access included basic IT services like email and Microsoft 365. Simultaneously, the department is facing significant staffing changes, including potential buyouts for many employees and the planned installation of a SpaceX network security engineer as the new chief information officer. Furthermore, over 1,000 employees, including those in newly created offices focused on infrastructure and climate initiatives, are on probationary status and facing potential immediate termination.
John Q. Hosedrinker