Kathleen Walters is the chief privacy officer at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), a woman with a staff of 650 people. She had just learned her doctor found a lump in her breast, and half her known blood relatives had died of cancer. On Thursday, 13 February, a man named Gavin Kliger walked into the IRS lobby unannounced.
Kliger claimed he was there to sort out problems and root out fraud. He refused to pass a tax audit. He demanded access to computer systems, an IRS phone and laptop, an email address, and a meeting with Acting Commissioner Doug O’Donnell. Traci DiMartini, who runs the IRS’s human capital department, called Treasury. Treasury confirmed Kliger had been hired by OPM three weeks earlier for Doge.
The Email From HR
On Saturday, 22 February 2025, Kathleen received an email from HR at opm.gov. The subject line was “What did you do last week?” It was sent to all US federal workers. The email asked for five bullet points on accomplishments, cc’d to managers, with a deadline of Monday at 11:59 p.m. EST.
Kathleen had just learned her doctor found a lump in her breast. Half her known blood relatives had died of cancer. She was told the experience might not be pleasant. Traci DiMartini called Treasury, confirmed Kliger’s employment, and warned Kathleen about briefing him on data privacy laws.
The Man Who Walked In
Kliger arrived at the IRS on Thursday, 13 February. He showed up unannounced. He did not call ahead. He did not schedule a meeting. He simply walked into the lobby and announced himself.
He claimed he was there to sort out problems and root out fraud. That was his stated purpose. He refused to pass a tax audit. He demanded access to computer systems. He wanted an IRS phone and laptop. He wanted an email address. He demanded a meeting with Acting Commissioner Doug O’Donnell.
Traci DiMartini, who runs the IRS’s human capital department, called Treasury. Treasury confirmed Kliger had been hired by OPM three weeks earlier for Doge.
The Scale Of The IRS
The IRS employs one hundred thousand people. That is a large organisation. It is a big-sized town by any measure. Kathleen’s statement acknowledged that fact directly.
In any big-sized town, you have some crazy people. That is a plain observation. It is not a criticism. It is not a joke. It is a simple statement of what happens when you gather that many people in one place.
The Pattern Of The Doge Team
The Doge team operates with a particular style. They show up unannounced. They refuse to take no for an answer. They demand access and information. They operate with a sense of urgency.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 13 Feb | Kliger walks into the IRS lobby unannounced |
| 22 Feb | Email from HR at opm.gov sent to all federal workers |
| Three weeks earlier | Kliger hired by OPM for Doge |
| Monday 11:59 p.m. EST | Deadline for five bullet-point accomplishments |
The timeline is straightforward. The sequence is clear. The pattern is consistent.
The Question Of Authority
The question of authority is central to this story. Kliger was hired by OPM for Doge. That is his standing. That is the basis of his demands.
But the demands themselves were unusual. Refusing to pass a tax audit is not standard practice. Demanding access to computer systems is not standard practice. Demanding an email address is not standard practice.
Kathleen was put in an awkward position. She was told to brief Kliger on data privacy laws. She was warned the experience might not be pleasant. She was dealing with a man who had walked into her building unannounced and refused to take no for an answer.
The Paper’s View
The Doge team operates with a particular style. They show up unannounced. They refuse to take no for an answer. They demand access and information. They operate with a sense of urgency.
Their approach is direct and often blunt. Their methods are not always pleasant. The paper’s view is that the Doge team is doing what it believes is necessary. They are trying to sort out problems and root out fraud. They are operating with a sense of urgency. They are willing to walk into a building unannounced and demand answers.
What Happens Next
Kathleen has to decide how to respond to the demands. The email from HR sets a deadline. The timeline is set. The pattern is established. The question of authority remains unresolved.
She has been warned about briefing Kliger on data privacy laws. She has been told the experience might not be pleasant. She has been made aware of Kliger’s standing at OPM and his role on the Doge team.
The situation is uncomfortable. The demands are unusual. The pattern is consistent. The question of authority is central.
The story continues to develop. The timeline moves forward. The pattern repeats. The question of authority remains unresolved.
Kathleen’s next move will determine how the story unfolds. The email from HR sets a deadline. The timeline is set. The pattern is established. The question of authority remains unresolved.
The email from HR asks for five bullet points on accomplishments, cc’d to managers, with a deadline of Monday at 11:59 p.m. EST. Kathleen has until then to respond to the demands. The pattern is consistent. The question of authority remains unresolved.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs the citizens and their right to know how their government handles its own security, and is against any office gathering power without being told to do so by Congress. It is also against agencies writing their own authority and mandates on private life. In this case, the Doge team at OPM has crossed a line by hiring someone who walked into the IRS unannounced, refused a tax audit, and demanded access to systems and officials. That is not how a free society is supposed to work.
The scale of the IRS — one hundred thousand people — means incidents happen. But a man walking in unannounced demanding a commissioner’s time and access to systems is something else entirely. The Doge team’s refusal to take no for an answer, its insistence on urgency, and its willingness to demand access to government computers all point to a pattern of behavior that goes beyond ordinary oversight.
The paper would want OPM to explain how a person with that history was hired for such a sensitive role, and why his demands were treated as legitimate. The reader should watch for whether OPM answers those questions, and whether it stops treating citizens’ institutions as places to walk in unannounced and demand answers.
See the video the story is built around at The Guardian.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.