White House has "eyes and ears" in key Cabinets

WaPo reports that the White House has put political aides into positions in various cabinet agencies to spy on the agency and watch for "leaks".  Am I the only one who thinks this is awful? I guess all presidents do this to some extent, and maybe I am being Chicken Little, but this spooks me. I know, I know, don't be hysterical. And to be fair, I look for a swastika everywhere with Trump. Still, it is worth being aware of.