A vice president for the firm [Definers Public Affairs], Allan Blutstein, federal records show, has submitted at least 40 Freedom of Information Act requests to the E.P.A. since President Trump was sworn in. Many of those requests target employees known to be questioning management at the E.P.A. since Scott Pruitt, the agency’s administrator, was confirmed.

Mr. Blutstein, in an interview, said he was taking aim at “resistance” figures in the federal government, adding that he hoped to discover whether they had done anything that might embarrass them or hurt their cause.

“I wondered if they were emailing critical things about the agency on government time and how frequently they were corresponding about this,” he said. “And did they do anything that would be useful for Republicans.”

Sounds like somebody is awfully interested in ascertaining the political correctness of federal civil service employees, and wants to root out those who don't support the party in power. Didn't there used to be a name for that kind of system?

Oh yeah: the spoils system.

This is scary.

He's dead, Jim.