On February eleventh, as 1000’s of civil servants questioned whether or not they’d have a job — or whether or not their federal companies would exist in any respect, as President Donald Trump and Elon Musk took a wrecking ball to the federal authorities — McLaurine Pinover had different issues on her thoughts. Pinover, a political appointee of the Trump administration and the communications director on the Workplace of Personnel Administration, was importing her outfit to Instagram.
“Me and my emotional help shoulder sweater,” Pinover captioned a video (together with the hashtags #cozy, #petiteoutfitinspo, #dcstyle, and #classicwithatwist) as she posed for the digicam. In one other clip, uploaded January twenty ninth, 2025, Pinover fashions a brown skirt and prime, fingers on hips. “New workplace, new workplace look,” she writes. “I’ve been sick + began a brand new job however excited to share my seems to be on this new journey!” Right here’s a fast reminder of what was taking place that day in Washington, DC.
Pinover’s Instagram is lengthy gone, deleted minutes after CNN reporters contacted her for a narrative revealing her facet hustle, the place she was additionally attempting to monetize her content material. However I used to be capable of finding a couple of of the cached pages on Google:
Picture: Instagram
The OPM has performed a central function within the Trump administration’s search-and-destroy tactic — it’s the OPM that’s appearing as Musk’s proper hand in gutting the federal workforce; the “Fork within the Street” e mail encouraging civil servants to resign got here from the OPM; and it was the OPM that demanded federal staff summarize what they do every week to show they’re truly working. Together with the Division of Authorities Effectivity, or DOGE, Musk’s pseudo company, OPM has been hellbent on figuring out (and punishing) “waste, fraud, and abuse,” nevertheless they select to outline that.
Fortunately, I’ve an concept of the place the OPM can begin. A lot of Pinover’s movies are filmed in a nondescript however tidy workplace. CNN, which broke the story, consists of an unbelievable quote from a former OPM communications official: “I noticed it, and I used to be like, ‘Are you kidding me, that’s my workplace.’” CNN additionally reviews that Pinover’s Sears catalog-esque outfits have been shared throughout working hours — appears wasteful to me! Pinover’s style account, @getdressedwithmc, solely had round 800 followers, with some movies getting just some dozen likes, which isn’t very environment friendly or efficient. If you will use your authorities workplace on taxpayers’ dimes to movie milquetoast outfit movies, at the least have the decency to be good at it.
It’s one factor to share your very regular and common outfits on a personal account — nonetheless form of cringe, however in all probability undeserving of reports protection. However in response to CNN, Pinover was additionally attempting to monetize her content material through affiliate hyperlinks. For precise influencers, affiliate hyperlinks may be extremely profitable: they make a fee each time somebody purchases a product utilizing their hyperlink. However with 800 followers, it’s unclear if Pinover was making any cash. She was attempting, although, with CNN reporting she was hawking merchandise like a $475 skirt. Authorities watchdog teams advised CNN that Pinover’s actions seem to run afoul of guidelines towards utilizing authorities assets for a personal enterprise and different unauthorized functions.
“Content material creation” as a job has grow to be extra financially and socially viable within the final decade, and many individuals with day jobs dabble in making Reels or TikToks or YouTube vlogs. In 2022, I wrote in regards to the development of massive tech staff going viral on the clock, recording footage within the places of work of corporations like Apple, Google, and Discord and discussing their careers and way of life. On this world, your day job is a part of your content material area of interest, blurring the strains between the function that pays your payments and your social media platform that you simply clearly need to bolster. Whereas Pinover didn’t establish herself as a member of the Trump administration, her willingness to unabashedly promote her ShopMy affiliate hyperlinks alerts two issues to me: these usually are not critical folks; and likewise, that is what’s taking place in workplaces throughout America, conflicts of curiosity {and professional} fame be damned.
Then once more, now we have loads of proof that many related to this administration consider themselves as influencers first and public servants second. The White Home is however a backdrop for a pop-up Tesla dealership as Musk’s enterprise flounders. Over on X, disgraced former member of the Home of Representatives Matt Gaetz is busy being a shill for a random valuable metals funding agency (seemingly with out correct disclosures, I would add).
Reached for remark, the OPM press line responded with a press release attributed to Pinover: “Whereas I used to be battling breast most cancers as a brand new mother, I felt so in contrast to myself. Shortly after, I turned to social media as a private outlet. I by no means made any revenue and with solely about 800 followers, I’m stunned that is newsworthy. My focus stays on serving the American folks at OPM.”
The OPM and Pinover didn’t reply to my questions on whether or not her actions represent waste, fraud, or abuse — however I’m not holding my breath, given what her bosses are as much as. What’s that saying about when in Rome?
Replace March twelfth: Added remark from the OPM and Pinover.
