Government employees claim Federal Out-of-Office replies changed to slam Democrats

Government shutdown 2025: On the first day of the US government shutdown, employees at the Department of Education (DOE) were shocked to find their automatic out-of-office email replies had been altered to include partisan language blaming Senate Democrats for the shutdown.

DOE shutdown emails altered to blame Senate Democrats

Initially, many DOE workers had set neutral messages suggested by human resources, which said, “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 for the latest information on the Department’s operational status,” as quoted in a report.

Hours later, the DOE employees response message had been altered to contain partisan language without their consent, which blamed Senate Democrats for the entire shutdown, as per a Wired report. The edited message says, “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," as quoted in the report.


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Partisan language added without staff consent

Some employees tried changing their replies back to neutral wording, but the partisan message kept reappearing. One DOE employee, speaking anonymously, said the situation was “disturbing,” as per the Wired report. Another added that “The Department unilaterally, and without staff knowledge or consent, went in and changed the messages to include partisan language,” as quoted in the report.

Legal concerns arise under the Hatch Act

The change has raised legal concerns because it could violate the Hatch Act, which limits political activity for federal employees, as per the Wired report. Experts note that breaking this law can result in fines or even losing one’s job.

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Public servants are expected to serve everyone, not political agendas

Don Moynihan, a professor of public policy at the University of Michigan, said that, “I've never heard of any US government at the federal level or the state or local level requiring employees to use partisan language in their communication with the public,” adding that, “Beyond the legality, this feels incredibly coercive and invasive. We hire these public servants who are supposed to serve everyone," as quoted by the Wired report.

FAQs

What happened to DOE employees’ out-of-office emails?
On the first day of the US government shutdown, their automatic replies were altered to blame Senate Democrats for the shutdown.

Could this violate the law?
Yes. Experts say it may breach the Hatch Act, which limits political activity for federal employees, as per the Wired report.