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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Michael Sainato and agencies

White House proposes NDAs for federal workers to crack down on leaks to journalists

An elderly man looks at a scrum of reporters holding cameras in his direction
Donald Trump speaks to members of the media on the south lawn of the White House on 8 May 2026. Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Donald Trump’s administration on Tuesday proposed asking federal employees to sign nondisclosure agreements with the goal of preventing them from sharing confidential information with journalists.

The office of personnel management (OPM), the human resources office for the US government, released a draft nondisclosure agreement designed for federal agencies to use with new and existing employees. Under the draft agreement, the administration could pursue civil and criminal penalties against employees who violate it. The US government would be entitled to all “royalties” that employees receive from disclosing information that violates the agreement, according to the draft.

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