Democrats claim Trump is creating a 'culture of fear' among workers for federal agencies 

  • A dozen U.S. senators penned a letter to President Donald Trump saying he was promoting a 'culture of fear' within the federal work force 
  • The lawmakers pointed to news reports that said the Trump landing teams had instructed agencies stop issuing releases and other information to the press 
  • On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said that the administration was 'looking into it,' without confirming the reports  

By Nikki Schwab, U.s. Political Reporter For Dailymail.com

Published: 19:13 EST, 26 January 2017 | Updated: 19:45 EST, 26 January 2017

Twelve U.S. senators, including 2016 presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders, have penned a letter to President Donald Trump, accusing him of sowing a 'culture of fear among federal employees.'

'The American people expect an open, transparent and honest government, and your actions are not only contrary to that expectation, they promote a long lasting culture of fear among federal employees and prevent them from following their mission to openly serve the American public,' the letter, obtained by CBS News, said. 

The 11 Democrats and Sanders, who is technically an independent, were motivated into action by reports that said the Trump administration had imposed media blackouts on certain agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, along with the Departments of Agriculture, Transportation, Health and Human Services and Interior. 

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Sen. Bernie Sanders was among a dozen senators to sign off on a letter to President Donald Trump, accusing his administration of sowing a 'culture of fear' among federal workers 

The senators wrote that they were 'gravely troubled' by these reports. 

Emails to federal staffers, which were then passed along to reporters, instructed government employees to stop putting out press releases, blog updates and posts on official social media accounts. 

Responsible were the 'beach teams,' which were deployed to federal agencies during the transition on behalf of team Trump. 

The senators asked that this policy immediately be reversed. 

'Given your commitment to the rule of law and peaceful transition of power, we respectfully ask that you immediately reverse course and ensure that the dedicated federal civil servants of this country receive the respect they deserve and are immediately made aware of their clear protections under the law,' the letter demanded.

However, the White House wouldn't say if the orders had come directly from Trump. 

On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer was asked specifically about the EPA blackout.

He said the story was breaking as he entered the briefing room.  

'We're looking into it,' he replied. 'I don't think it's any surprise that when there's an administration turnover that we're going to review the policies, but with respect to the question you're asking I don't have any information at this time.' 

Democrats pressed ahead with the letter any way, with Sen. Ed Markey from Massachusetts leading the charge, and progressives like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Cory Booker and Sen. Ron Wyden signing on.  

Democrats have been generally concerned that the Trump administration is trying to snuff out climate science.  

Trump's pick to run the EPA, for example, Oklahoma's attorney general Scott Pruitt, has expressed doubts that humans are the cause of the temperature rise. 

They presented the gag order as further proof. 

'Targeting the scientists at these agencies and prohibiting them sharing the results of this research with the broader public is irresponsible and serves only to undermine the integrity and public trust in the federal government,' the senators wrote.  

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