Hundreds of new employees at the National Nuclear Security Administration were terminated Thursday evening, according to agency employees who were not authorized to speak on the record, following the Trump administration’s mandate for federal entities to fire scores of recent government hires.
Letters emailed to affected employees obtained by Nextgov/FCW noted that terminations of employees still in a probationary period are not protected by applicable grievance procedures, offering limited appeal processes. The letter was signed by Deputy Assistant General Counsel Jenny Knopinski within Energy’s Office of the General Counsel.
“Per OPM instructions, DOE finds that your further employment would not be in the public interest,” the letter read. “For this reason, you are being removed from your position with DOE and the federal civil service effective today.”
Those who received the notices included employees in pipeline programs — including the NNSA Graduate Fellowship program, an initiative designed to give job offers following a year of working with the agency.
Sources familiar with the proceedings told Nextgov/FCW that roughly 300 employees will be affected by the termination notices. They to say that there is confusion surrounding procedures following the terminations, with employees wondering how to get employment forms and documentation, turn in government equipment, and retrieve personal belongings.
These terminations are part of the Department of Government Efficiency’s efforts in federal agencies. DOGE’s presence within the NNSA has been under particular scrutiny. Some lawmakers have asked for additional information about the security clearances of DOGE staffers who handle sensitive information stored within Energy’s networks, particularly nuclear-stockpile information.
“The nation and the world need to know that U.S. nuclear secrets are robustly safeguarded,” a letter sent to Energy Secretary Chris Wright from Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., and Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., said. “There is no justification for relaxing basic security procedures when it comes to our nuclear stockpile, but recent actions reflect a brazen disregard for DOE security policies. DOE must ensure that all personnel with access to classified information and systems surrounding our nation’s nuclear arsenal follow the highest security standards.”
