CNN Report: Russia and Chinese Intelligence Targeting Disgruntled Federal Employees

Foreign adversaries are ramping up efforts to infiltrate U.S. intelligence networks by targeting federal employees who have been fired or fear imminent termination. According to a CNN report, Russia and China are actively recruiting these individuals, exploiting their discontent and financial vulnerability to extract sensitive information about national security and critical infrastructure.

A Perfect Storm for Espionage

Recent U.S. intelligence assessments indicate that both Russian and Chinese intelligence agencies are focusing their efforts on individuals with security clearances or access to classified information. The Trump administration’s move to conduct mass layoffs across the federal workforce has created an unprecedented opportunity for foreign intelligence services.

According to sources familiar with the matter, recruitment efforts have escalated through online platforms such as LinkedIn, TikTok, RedNote, and Reddit. Some adversaries have even gone so far as to create fake job postings designed to lure in former government employees who are “open to work.”

“The adversaries think these employees are at their most vulnerable right now,” one source told CNN. “Out of a job, bitter about being fired—these are ideal targets.”

Who is Sounding the Alarm?

A document from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) asserts with “high confidence” that foreign adversaries are actively attempting to capitalize on the layoffs. Intelligence agencies have been quietly discussing mitigation strategies, but the urgency of the situation is causing concern among national security officials.

Holden Triplett, a former director of counterintelligence at the National Security Council and former FBI attaché in Moscow and Beijing, emphasized the risk: “Employees that feel they have been mistreated by an employer have historically been much more likely to disclose sensitive information. We may be creating, albeit somewhat unintentionally, the perfect recruitment environment.”

Despite these warnings, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has dismissed the concerns as politically motivated fearmongering. In a recent Fox News interview, Gabbard criticized intelligence officials for allegedly using the media to threaten the administration. “They are exposing themselves by making this indirect threat,” she said. “Their loyalty is not to America, not to the Constitution, but to themselves.”

If foreign intelligence services successfully recruit disgruntled U.S. government employees, the damage could be severe. These individuals often possess knowledge of classified operations, cyber defense strategies, and government vulnerabilities. In recent years, the Justice Department has prosecuted multiple former military and intelligence officials for supplying sensitive information to China.

The Pentagon is currently considering cutting over 5,000 probationary employees, while the CIA has already terminated more than 20 officers, many of whom had been involved in diversity initiatives. Some of these individuals are challenging their dismissals in court, further highlighting the level of dissatisfaction within federal agencies.

In an alarming development, the CIA inadvertently exposed some of its own personnel by sending an unclassified email listing all agency hires from the past two years—some of whom were preparing to operate under cover. This breach could make them prime targets for foreign recruiters.

The U.S. Uses Similar Tactics

Ironically, the CIA employs the same methods against adversarial governments. It has released multiple recruitment videos targeting disillusioned Russian officials, encouraging them to spy for the United States. “Domestic political turbulence in your country? Sign up with us to help us help your country!” a former intelligence official said, paraphrasing the CIA’s pitch.

However, while the U.S. intelligence community uses these tactics abroad, they are now facing a version of their own playbook being used against them—with potentially devastating consequences.

The mass layoffs within the federal government have inadvertently created a ripe environment for foreign intelligence agencies to exploit. The U.S. now faces a serious counterintelligence challenge, as Russia and China actively seek to turn dismissed employees into informants.

With thousands of federal workers facing termination, the risk of espionage is not just theoretical—it is an immediate and pressing threat. How the government chooses to handle these vulnerabilities will have lasting implications for national security.

ACZ Editor: Government employees with security clearances are hard targets, and it only takes one or two disgruntled employees to do substantial damage. The Russians and Chinese are always doing this, but this is a time when the U.S. is particularly vulnerable.

Since China already has unfettered access to personal information through their current espionage activities, finding people with financial issues will not be a problem.