By Courtney Rozen
WASHINGTON, May 26 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration proposed asking federal workers to sign non-disclosure agreements, according to a government statement made public on Tuesday, with the goal of preventing them from sharing confidential information with journalists.
The Office of Personnel Management, the human resources office for the U.S. government, said it wants to create a non-disclosure agreement form for federal agencies to use for new and existing employees, according to the statement. The OPM asked the public for feedback on the idea, adding that each federal agency would have discretion over whether to use the form.
The form, if implemented, could make it easier for Trump to punish government employees who leak information to reporters. It is the latest step in a broader effort to increase his control of U.S. government workers and the flow of information to the public.
The form would make it clearer to federal workers that they could lose their jobs if they disclose information to the media without permission from their employer, according to the statement.
The OPM did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
(Reporting by Courtney Rozen; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Rod Nickel)
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