Government Workers Say Their Out-of-Office Replies Were Forcibly Changed to Blame Democrats for Shutdown
Source: wiredmagazine
Government Workers Say Their Out-of-Office Replies Were Forcibly Changed to Blame Democrats for Shutdown
Source: wiredmagazine
31 Comments
Seems super illegal…not just violation of the Hatch act but also forcing Federal employees to violate it against their will
On Wednesday, the first day of the US government shutdown, employees at the Department of Education (DOE) set their automatic out-of-office email responses to inform recipients that they would be unable to respond until after the shutdown. Hours later, many DOE employees realized their response message had been altered to contain partisan language without their consent. The automatic reply now blamed Senate Democrats for the entire shutdown.
It’s not clear who made the change to email accounts, which was first [posted about](https://bsky.app/profile/marisakabas.bsky.social/post/3m27ovc4xm22j) on Bluesky by journalist Marisa Kabas. “It’s disturbing,” says a DOE employee who asked to remain anonymous because they were not authorized to speak to the press. Some employees changed their responses back to the more neutral language, only to have it changed yet again to the partisan response, multiple sources tell WIRED.
As government employees began to log off in preparation for a shutdown, many agencies sent out guidance, including suggested language for their out-of-office message. While some agencies offered employees neutral language, simply explaining they would not be able to reply until the shutdown concluded, employees at [the Small Business Administration (SBA)](https://www.wired.com/story/government-employees-out-of-office-email-replies/) and, according to sources and screenshots reviewed by WIRED, the Department of Labor (DOL), received suggested language that blamed Democrats for the shutdown.
At the DOE, human resources sent employees standard language ahead of the shutdown, and many employees used this as their OOO text. Originally, the suggested language given to DOE employees read, “Thank you for your email. There is a temporary shutdown of the US government due to a lapse in appropriations. I will respond to your message as soon as possible after the temporary shutdown ends. Please visit [Ed.gov](http://Ed.gov) for the latest information on the Department’s operational status.” Many employees set this neutral language as their OOO status.
The new, changed message reads:
“Thank you for contacting me. On September 19, 2025, the House of Representatives passed HR 5371, a clean continuing resolution. Unfortunately, Democrat Senators are blocking passage of HR 5371 in the Senate which has led to a lapse in appropriations. Due to the lapse in appropriations I am currently in furlough status. I will respond to emails once government functions resume.”
Read the full story here: [https://www.wired.com/story/government-workers-say-their-out-of-office-replies-were-forcibly-changed-to-blame-democrats-for-shutdown/](https://www.wired.com/story/government-workers-say-their-out-of-office-replies-were-forcibly-changed-to-blame-democrats-for-shutdown/)
More criminal behavior from our Convicted Criminal in Charge. No surprise here.
Where is the lawsuit to stop this overreach?
Everyone can see who’s to blame with their own eyes. They can stomp and cry about it as much as they want but it isn’t going to make a difference
Just a waste of time
Of course, the Repugs would blame Dems for the shutdown. They couldn’t possibly say they had anything to do with it. More and more we are losing our freedoms. Day by day and night after night. tRump and the 2025 agenda are destroying Democracy. We are being forced to become a military state controlled by a King who doesn’t even know which way the sun rises and sets, much less what the Constitution means.
Is there any reason to believe anything that comes from this administration? I can’t think of any. My default is: White House: It’s all lies
Any government department: Lies
Congressional Republicans: A Liar
Compelled speech much?
Which is illegal – should be in every headline on this.
The only people who will see the responses and believe them are already maga. All other people will be more concerned about the government trying to force themselves into every aspect of your life.
I don’t see how this will help maga.
Elect and enable a felon and crime boss and you get this kind of stuff.
So petty. But, not surprised.
Would this not be considered illegal alteration of government records? Like if an employer can alter your email communications without your knowledge or consent then can fabricate records of literally anything.
The Trump administration is lawless. This is another crime to add the list for impeachment. Trump has zero diplomacy skills and NO DESIRE TO UNITE THE COUNTRY!
A government using misinformation,
disinformation and outright lies. Sound familiar?
I’m hoping somebody posts the email that was sent to all the departments telling them to blame Democrats. They’re such lying scumbag trash, but the f’ng Democrats need to take some of those millions in Super PAC money and set up bot farms and IT experts that can flood social media and the Internet with opposition facts, denials and proof against their bullshit. It hardball time, fuck the “sternly worded letter” bullshit the Democrats are going with.
Literally a single line command in Powershell. Just saying.
>Get-Mailbox -ResultSize Unlimited | ForEach-Object { Set-MailboxAutoReplyConfiguration -Identity $_.PrimarySmtpAddress -AutoReplyState Enabled -ExternalMessage <Insert Message Here> -ExternalAudience All }
Just illegal Hatch Act violations in plain sight.
What did everyone expect? When you vote in scum, you get scum results.
This all seems to be pre-planned.
The Supreme Court will put a stop to this unambiguously illegal activity
/s
I mean the guidance said “you will use (this message) as your OOO”.
Pretty clear direction from above despite if you agree/disagree with it.
It’s a good thing these reporters are coming out about this. This is absolutely being done because they didn’t realize just how many people they thought they could fool would blame them for the shutdown. I’m assuming that they know their emails are being h changed because the people they’re sending them to are pointing it out and knowing they wouldn’t say it
Edit: Also pretty sly of them to mention democrats are blocking the passing of a bill but they don’t specifically that bill is basically stripping the majority of Americans’ healthcare
MAGA propaganda and this is unethical!
Yeah, the minority of the legislative branch against the majority of GOP Trump loyalists got the government shut down…
Do they realize that they look like children.
Sadly, I’m afraid YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND!
They will do that only for laid-off employees and, since those employees are no longer employed by the gov’t. they have no “standing” to sue. Probably ’cause the Solicitor General will claim that the Gov’t owns those e-mail addresses and can do whatever the Gov’t wants with them.
/s
Yeah this just makes the Republicans look worse
Compelled speech is unconstitutional. For domestic abusers of the Constitution, this is just more indications that the government SHOULD be shut down. Unable to stop breaking laws, defend and protect the US Constitution, Bill of Rights; a lawless regime cannot be expected to reopen and serve Americans, it does not deserve to exist.
Do people realise how serious this is?
r/democraticparty