High-profile federal resignations and firings continue as Elon Musk's DOGE ramps up its efforts to slash government spending. The latest in that group is Joshua Stueve, a top spokesperson for the Department of Justice, who resigned Friday citing a "toxic work environment" in his letter to leadership.
Stueve, who had been at the Justice Department since 2010 and served through the first Trump administration, cited federal leadership as part of his decision.
"Simply put, I cannot continue to serve in such a hostile and toxic work environment, one where leadership at the highest levels makes clear we are not welcomed or valued, much less trusted to do our jobs," Stueve, who is not a political appointee, wrote.
The former spokesperson also said in the letter that the outcome of the 2024 election did not sway his decision.
"In fact, it has been an honor to serve this department under multiple administrations led by both Republicans and Democrats, each of whom have previously treated career staff with respect and dignity. It is heartbreaking to see the basic decency come to an end," he wrote.
Stueve wished his former colleagues the best and said they were "true patriots" of the country.
The official, who is also a Marine Corps veteran, is among the latest federal resignations to come out of Musk's Department of Government Efficiency's efforts to dramatically cut down government spending.
Several heads of agencies have resigned over the past weeks in protest to cuts to their staff, and like Stueve, signaling a difficult work environment. For instance, a top-ranking official resigned at the Department of Treasury when Musk's team began pushing for access to the Treasury's governmentwide payroll system. Similarly, the Food and Drug Administration's food-division head resigned, writing that it would be "fruitless" to continue after massive layoffs in the division.
The reports come as DOGE prepares for yet another round of firings, preparing to strike entire categories of jobs from the federal workforce, according to The Washington Post. The General Services Administration reportedly told its staff in an email that terminations are imminent. Social Security Administration leadership is under instruction to produce plans to cut its staff by half, and an office within the Labor Department that enforces equal employment opportunity laws is developing a plan to reduce its workforce by 90 percent.
DOGE itself is falling victim to its own plans as 21 staffers resigned Tuesday from the initiative, saying they were refusing to use their technical expertise to "dismantle critical public services."
"We swore to serve the American people and uphold our oath to the Constitution across presidential administrations," the 21 civil service employees wrote in a joint resignation letter. "However, it has become clear that we can no longer honor those commitments."
The employees also warned that many of those enlisted by Musk to help him slash the size of the federal government under President Trump's administration were political ideologues who did not have the necessary skills or experience for the task ahead of them.
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