Hidden document data has exposed that several U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) memos were authored by individuals connected to Project 2025, a conservative policy initiative, rather than official OPM staff.
The revelation came after a Reddit user discovered metadata showing that recent OPM communications were written by people affiliated with The Heritage Foundation's Project 2025. Metadata, which contains information about a document's creation and authorship, indicated that some memos were penned by Noah Peters and James Sherk - both linked to the conservative movement.
While Peters now serves as a Senior Advisor at OPM, Sherk's involvement raises questions, as he appears to have no official role with the department. Despite being listed as authored by Acting Director Charles Ezell, a January 22 memo on in-person work requirements was actually created by Peters, according to the document's metadata.
After these findings surfaced, the OPM quickly moved to scrub the metadata from the memos. By Wednesday, the documents were no longer accessible through official channels, though tech researchers have preserved archived copies.
The discovery aligns with recent changes in federal workforce management. Last week, President Trump reintroduced Schedule F, a policy allowing greater political control over federal employee hiring and dismissal. This mirrors Project 2025's stated aim to reshape federal bureaucracy according to presidential directives.
Project 2025, organized by The Heritage Foundation, outlines an extensive conservative policy agenda spanning education reform, healthcare changes, and elimination of federal diversity programs. While Trump publicly distanced himself from the initiative in 2024, his recent executive actions closely parallel its recommendations.
The metadata findings emerge as the administration offers voluntary buyouts to federal employees, promising eight months' pay for those who leave by February 6. This development coincides with plans to reduce government workforce through the newly established Department of Government Efficiency.