The chief U.S. prosecutor in Washington initiated an inquiry on Wednesday into threats directed at federal employees, specifically naming Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer as part of the investigation. The probe follows reports from employees involved in Elon Musk’s initiative to restructure and reduce the size of the government, who claimed they had been subjected to threats.

Interim U.S. Attorney Ed Martin stated in an email, reviewed by Reuters, that the investigation was prompted by a discussion with a senior member of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has been responsible for significant workforce reductions throughout the federal government.

“Late last night, I received a call from a senior DOGE staffer. We discussed pressing technological matters, and he then informed me about threats targeting DOGE employees. It is disgraceful that these individuals are being threatened,” Martin wrote in the email.

Martin dubbed the initiative “Operation Whirlwind,” indicating that Schumer, the top Democrat in the Republican-majority Senate, is a focus of the threats investigation. He referenced Schumer’s 2020 remarks at an abortion rights rally, where he warned Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, saying, “You have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price.”

In his Wednesday email, Martin stated that his office had been “inundated with threats against those who assisted in securing the release of January 6 detainees.”

“I have reached out to Senator Schumer regarding these threats,” Martin stated. “He has yet to respond.” A representative for Schumer has not yet provided a comment. Earlier this month, Martin announced via social media that he had opened a criminal investigation following a referral from Musk, who alleged that government employees were involved in theft and making threats. His post on Musk’s X platform reportedly violated Justice Department regulations regarding social media use and the public disclosure of sensitive information.

Before his appointment by Trump as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Martin had been an outspoken advocate for individuals involved in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, which sought to disrupt the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. Last month, Trump granted clemency to approximately 1,600 individuals connected to the incident.