Washington, DC — The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC), the institution charged with protecting the non-partisan civil service, has presided over the largest mass politicization of federal hiring in history, according to a complaint filed today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). The OSC official who allowed the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to keep asking job applicants how they would further President Trump’s policies has been nominated to serve as the next Special Counsel.

In May 2025, the OPM announced that henceforth all federal agencies must ask “each job application graded GS-05 or above” to respond to “four short, free-response essay questions,” including the following:

“How would you help advance the President’s Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you, and explain how you would help implement them if hired.”

A PEER complaint filed with OSC charged that the inclusion of these and related essay questions on federal job applications constituted prohibited personnel practices by violating several civil service prescriptions.  In response, OPM issued “Additional Guidance” that these essay questions are not mandatory for agencies to use or for applicants to answer, and that answers would not be “scored or rated” and should be treated the same as a “cover letter.”

Following these assurances, Mr. Charles N. Baldis, OSC Senior Counsel, wrote to PEER on June 30, 2025, that:

“OSC has concluded that OPM’s Additional Guidance resolves the concerns raised in your letter and, at this time, we cannot conclude that a PPP [prohibited personnel practice] has occurred, exists, or is to be taken.”

During the ensuing months, these assurances have proven illusory:

• Tens of thousands of federal job applicants have been asked to respond to the Trump-related essay questions. Contrary to OPM’s promise, for many agencies, a response is required and an application cannot be submitted as complete unless they are addressed;
• Many federal jobseekers are reportedly deterred from finalizing applications due to the presence of these questions; and
• A subsequent Trump Executive Order requires political appointees to oversee each hiring decision.

“Thousands of federal job applicants are being subjected to a Trump loyalty oath,” stated PEER Executive Director Tim Whitehouse, noting that a non-partisan federal civil service has been in existence since 1871. “The more than 150-year-old tradition of non-partisan federal public service has never been in greater peril.”

Meanwhile, President Trump has nominated Charles Baldis to become the next Special Counsel and he will soon be facing Senate confirmation. At the same time, there is a pending lawsuit brought by federal employee unions challenging the constitutionality of the essay questions.

“Mr. Baldis’ record suggests that he will not check any Trump abuse, no matter how egregious,” Whitehouse added. “The next Special Counsel needs to be an aggressive watchdog, not a passive lapdog.”

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Read the PEER complaint

See prior PEER complaint and OSC dismissal

See the AFGE lawsuit

PEER protects public employees who protect our environment. We are a service organization for environmental and public health professionals, land managers, scientists, enforcement officers and other civil servants dedicated to upholding environmental laws and values. We work with current and former federal, state, local and tribal employees.