The network of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) consists of personnel, allies, and Elon Musk associates appointed during the second presidency of Donald Trump to implement his government efficiency initiative. DOGE's leadership is ambiguous: while Amy Gleason was named Acting Administrator[2] and Steve Davis reportedly manages daily operations,[3] Elon Musk (formerly an official special government employee with limited formal authority) has been described by Trump as being "in charge",[4] and a court has declared him the "DOGE leader".[5][6] In April 2025, Musk declared he would work on DOGE remotely,[7] months after declaring his intent to ban remote work for federal workers.[8]
Musk said in March 2025 that there are around 100 employees and that he planned to double the staff.[9] Many of the employees, informally called "DOGE kids", are software engineers aged between 19 and 24 and without prior government experience.[10] The broader network also includes allies from Silicon Valley, the Trump administration and conservative legal circles.[11] Many DOGE members have preexisting connections to Musk and his companies.[11] DOGE's structure has not officially been published,[2] and the identity of DOGE members was revealed by investigative journalists, which Musk described as doxxing.[12] DOGE's workforce is controversial, with concerns over its transparency, potential conflicts of interest,[13][14][15]information security,[16] and members' past conduct or affiliations.[17][10] Many DOGE members made financial contributions to the Trump campaign.[18]
Members of the network entered or joined various federal agencies. They took control of information systems to facilitate mass layoffs. Their actions have met various responses, including lawsuits.
Elon Musk's role
In a February 17 affidavit, Office of Administration director Joshua Fischer told Judge Tanya Chutkan that Musk was not the administrator or an employee of DOGE but (like much of DOGE's workforce) a special employee with no "authority to make government decisions". Special government employees have an advisory role limited to a 130-day work period that can be paid or unpaid. Those who earn a substantial salary have to disclose it. Unlike federal workers, special employees are allowed to keep outside salaries and may not need to disclose conflicts of interest.[19][20] Nevertheless, Trump declared two days later to have put "Musk in charge" of DOGE.[4] At a February 24 hearing, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly questioned the constitutionality of retrofitting DOGE as the United States Digital Service and asked the government attorney, Bradley Humphreys, about its structure; he said that he ignored Musk's role beyond that of Trump advisor.[21] On the next day, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Musk is "overseeing DOGE" but refused to identify its administrator after being asked repeatedly.[22][23]
Later the same day, the White House named Amy Gleason as the acting DOGE administrator; Gleason worked from 2018 through 2021 at US Digital Service.[24][25] On February 28, Justice Department lawyer Joshua Gardner told Judge Theodore D. Chuang that he was unable to identify the administrator of DOGE before Gleason.[26] In a filing submitted under seal but partly released in March, the Trump administration recognized that Gleason has been working at Health and Human Services at the same time that she said having worked full-time as an administrator of the US DOGE Service.[27]
In his March 4 joint address to Congress, Trump repeated that DOGE "is headed by Elon Musk".[28][29] After being quoted in lawsuits days later, Trump reportedly told members of his Cabinet that they rather than Musk and DOGE were to make staffing decisions for their departments, but a few hours later remonstrated "If they don't cut, then Elon will do the cutting."[30] On March 18, Chuang determined that Musk was "the leader of DOGE" and that his actions in dismantling USAID violated the Appointments Clause.[31] In a May 21 Supreme Court filing, Solicitor GeneralJohn Sauer told the court that Musk "is not part of" DOGE.[32] In a separate lawsuit involving Musk's company X, his own lawyers stated that he is "in charge of" DOGE.[33] In late April, Musk told his investors that he planned to reduce his government work, but that he will "likely" continue for the remainder of Trump's term.[34]
In April, Elon Musk ceased basing his DOGE work from the White House, instead opting to work remotely.[35] During Tesla's earnings call on April 22, 2025, Musk said: "Starting early next month, in May, my time allocation to DOGE will drop significantly [...] I will be allocating far more of my time to Tesla."[36][37] This has been widely interpreted as a response to drops in Tesla's stock and sales resulting from Musk's work with DOGE;[38]David Sacks attributed the pivot to Musk’s modus operandi and usual shifts in focus.[39] Musk clarified that he was not planning to step away from DOGE entirely, saying that he would "spend a day or two per week on government matters for as long as the president would like me to do so".[40] Musk began working remotely around the same time,[41][42] months after expressing his intent to ban remote work for federal workers.[43]
"DOGE Kids"
Luke Farritor is one of the several engineers aged 19–24 working for DOGE with little to no prior experience in government.
DOGE hired software engineers aged 19–24 with no experience in government, including Akash Bobba, Edward Coristine, Luke Farritor, Marko Elez, Gautier Killian, Gavin Kliger, and Ethan Shaotran.[10] Reportedly, DOGE members conducted 15-minute video interviews with federal workers without identifying themselves, with queries such as "whom they would choose to fire from their teams if they had to pick one person",[44] and surprise code reviews, silently supervised by "extremely young men".[45] The team has been called "Doge Kids" by officials, reporters, and social media users.[46][47][48]
According to Brian Krebs, Edward Coristine's past poses security risks:[49] The 19-year-old son of the LesserEvil owner[50] leaked information from the data-security company where he was interning,[51] mingled with 'The Com', a cybercriminal network,[52] and owns web domains registered in Russia.[53] His online footprint also makes security clearance tough, according to some security experts.[53] As of February 19, Coristine is a staff member at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.[54] On March 27, documents resurfaced showing that Coristine has provided tech support to EGodly, a cybercrime group.[55] Coristine has gone by the name "Big Balls" on the internet, a nickname that has been widely referenced in the media.[56][57]
Some members have been accused of previously amplifying extremist views. Gavin Kliger, 25, has an edgelord past,[58] crediting Ron Unz for his political awakening[59] and reposting internet personalities such as Nick Fuentes and Andrew Tate, along with white supremacist memes.[60][61] Elez has shared similar viewpoints, with posts such as "You could not pay me to marry outside of my ethnicity" or "Normalize Indian hate."[62]
On February 24, the Washington Post reported that Farritor and Kliger manually blocked payments for critical programs multiple times, programs that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had approved by decree.[63][64][65] Court documents filed on March 14 have revealed that DOGE staffer Marko Elez violated U.S. Treasury Department policy by mishandling personal information.[66] Kliger was accused of yelling at Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) staff he kept for a 36-hour shift.[67]
Doxxing accusations
After the February 2 Wired article, names of DOGE members started to circulate; Musk accused those who did so of committing a crime.[68] The next day, interim United States attorney for the District of Columbia Ed Martin released a statement on Musk's social saying that certain individuals and/or groups have committed acts that appear to violate the law in targeting DOGE employees.[69] Musk quoted that statement, adding "Don't mess with DOGE".[70] On February 7, Martin sent Musk and his deputy Steve Davis a letter (also posted on his social) announcing that he had opened an investigation into government employees Musk accused of stealing property and making threats.[71][72] According to New York Times reporter Ken Bensinger, Musk was attempting to describe traditional journalism as "doxxing" in order to invalidate the role of the media in government accountability.[12]
After the names of DOGE employees began circulating on Reddit—and some users suggested violence—site administrators posted that Reddit had "seen an increase in content in several communities that violate Reddit Rules. Debate and dissent are welcome on Reddit—threats and doxing are not." The popular subreddit r/WhitePeopleTwitter was subsequently banned for three days, and a small subreddit called r/IsElonDeadYet was permanently removed.[73]
On February 11, Musk reshared a post by Laura Loomer with screenshots that identified Judge John J. McConnell Jr.'s daughter, along with her financial disclosure forms from the department.[74] This reshare followed McConnell's order to unfreeze federal grants.[75] On February 12, Rep. Andrew Clyde announced that he was drafting "articles" of impeachment against McConnell, echoing Musk's claim that there "needs to be an immediate wave of judicial impeachments, not just one".[76]
The "We Choose to Fight: Nobody Elected Elon" protest, organized by MoveOn, was held at the Treasury on February4, 2025.Several US Congress members spoke against Musk's role in the government during the "We Choose to Fight: Nobody Elected Elon" protests.
Membership
The concept of DOGE membership has been contested.[77] In a group chat, DOGE's acting administrator Amy Gleason argued that she has no control over DOGE team members hired by other agencies, nor any responsibility regarding their actions, including firings.[78]General Services Administration (GSA) administrator and DOGE member Stephen Ehikian stated "there is no DOGE team at GSA"[79] even though Steve Davis has taken up offices at GSA. In a legal case involving the Department of Labor, DOGE lawyers objected to the plaintiffs' meanings of "DOGE employee", "sensitive systems", "access", "records", and "authority", which they deemed "vague and ambiguous"; they restricted the concept of DOGE employee to "individuals who have a formal relationship" with the US DOGE Service.[80][81] In a court case involving the "Fork in the road" mass email, DOGE member Jacob Altik has been presented as a lawyer from the White House Personal Office when trying to shut down African Development Foundation (USADF) along with other DOGE members.[82]
Composition and structure
TechCrunch sorts "Musk's universe" as inner circle, senior figures, worker bees, or aides;[83]The New York Times associates the "clear mandate" of "shrinking and disrupting" government" to DOGE leadership, staffers, and allies;[84]Wired maps three types of people "affiliated" with DOGE: conservative lawyers, Trump administrations, and Silicon Valley.[11] DOGE membership extends beyond employee status: many Musk allies are venture capitalists and startup founders.[85] Many DOGE members are embedded in other government units;[86] there are at least 23 employees hired between Jan. 20 and Feb. 20 that, according to Bloomberg, "have worked for DOGE in some capacity" at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).[87] Few have a known contractual status; some have tried to conceal their roles; the White House provides little information.[88]
Staff roles follow the DOGE teams mentioned in the first executive order: "at least four employees" with one "Team Lead, one engineer, one human resources specialist, and one attorney".[89] On February 2, 2025, Musk said on X that DOGE workers were putting in 120 hours a week.[90] This was questioned for leaving dangerously little time to sleep.[91]
On February 18, 2025, CNN sent Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for security clearance records of DOGE team members who were granted access to sensitive or classified government networks; the response, from an OPM email address, was: "Good luck with that they just got rid of the entire privacy team". Sources told CNN that employees from the communications staff and those who handle FOIA requests were also dismissed.[92]
Musk: early SpaceX employee, was on the committee that terminated 80% of Twitter's employees; NASA: vested interest in company making Black Hawk helicopters autonomous (Rain)
Led employee interviews; tasked with dismantling USADF and IAF; paid $120,500 by GSA; contacted the Vera Institute to send a DOGE team, temporary President of US Institute Of Peace.
Musk: longtime admirer; donated c. $40,000 to Republican lawmakers and political action committees; shady credentials according to Forbes; RingMD (bankrupt)
Accessed VA's HR systems; promoted by Hegseth at DOD
Supports Robert Kennedy Jr; said on Fox News he wants an "Apple Store-like experience" for federal retirement; interviewed by Jesse Watters, along DOGE kids
Musk fan, brother was working at Twitter c. 2022; Gumroad CEO who fired most of his employees in 2015, to replace them with bots
Wanted to "digitize the agency" with vibe coding; "got the boot" after the Fast Company interview; suspected that DOGE will fizzle out after Musk's departure
Uses AI to deregulate housing; has read access to the Public and Indian Housing Center Information Center data; focuses on Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH)
^Lee, Ella (March 18, 2025). "Judge finds Elon Musk likely acted unconstitutionally in shuttering USAID". The Hill. Retrieved March 18, 2025. It marks the first time a judge has ruled that Musk is likely exercising enough independent authority to require him to be confirmed by the Senate under the Appointments Clause. "The record of his activities to date establishes that his role has been and will continue to be as the leader of DOGE, with the same duties and degree of continuity as if he was formally in that position,'" wrote Chuang, an appointee of former President Obama. Chuang rejected the Trump administration's argument that Musk is not the DOGE administrator and is instead merely a senior adviser to the president who has no independent authority.
^Tanis, Fatma (2025-03-18). "A federal judge says the USAID shutdown likely violated the Constitution". NPR. Retrieved 2025-04-28. In a 68-page opinion Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Theodore Chuang, an Obama appointee, wrote that "the Court finds that Defendants' actions taken to shut down USAID on an accelerated basis, including its apparent decision to permanently close USAID headquarters without the approval of a duly appointed USAID Officer, likely violated the United States Constitution in multiple ways, and that these actions harmed not only Plaintiffs, but also the public interest, because they deprived the public's elected representatives in Congress of their constitutional authority to decide whether, when, and how to close down an agency created by Congress."
^Stratford, Michael (2025-02-24). "Judge questions constitutionality of DOGE, Musk's role". POLITICO. Retrieved 2025-03-07. "Based on the limited record I have before me I have some concerns about the constitutionality of the of USDS's structure and operation," said Kollar-Kotelly, using the acronym of the U.S. Digital Service that President Donald Trump renamed and restructured as the U.S. DOGE Service on his first day in office.
^Lee, Ella (March 18, 2025). "Judge finds Elon Musk likely acted unconstitutionally in shuttering USAID". The Hill. Retrieved March 18, 2025. It marks the first time a judge has ruled that Musk is likely exercising enough independent authority to require him to be confirmed by the Senate under the Constitution's Appointments Clause. "The record of his activities to date establishes that his role has been and will continue to be as the leader of DOGE, with the same duties and degree of continuity as if he was formally in that position,'" wrote Chuang, an appointee of former President Obama. Chuang rejected the Trump administration's argument that Musk is not the DOGE administrator and is instead merely a senior adviser to the president who has no independent authority.
^Sneed, Tierney (2025-03-30). "Is DOGE actually an agency? The answer could have major ramifications". CNN. Retrieved 2025-04-06. The group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics (CREW), noted in its Thursday discovery request that lawyers for Musk told a judge last week, in a case concerning his company X, that he was too busy to sit for a deposition because the White House had put him "in charge of Establishing and implementing" DOGE.
^ abKrebs, Brian (2025-02-07). "Teen on Musk's DOGE Team Graduated from 'The Com'". Krebs on Security. Retrieved 2025-02-07. Experts say it is extremely difficult for former members of violent street gangs to gain a security clearance needed to view sensitive or classified information held by the U.S. government [...] The Com is the English-language cybercriminal hacking equivalent of a violent street gang.
^Stein, Shira (April 8, 2025). "DOGE head denies responsibility for mass firings in private group chat message". San Francisco Chronicle. I currently serve as acting administrator of the U.S. Doge Service (formerly U.S. Digital Service). That's separate from (1) the embedded agency Doge teams — who are hired directly into each agency — and (2) the broader Doge policy agenda that Elon Musk advises the President on
^Mitchell, Billy (2025-03-17). "Lawyer linked to DOGE is defending OPM mass email system lawsuit". FedScoop. Retrieved 2025-04-03. Kel McClanahan, counsel for the plaintiffs, wrote in the Monday notice that with the relevant information about Altik, "it has become apparent that [Department of Justice attorney] Ms. [Elizabeth] Shapiro may have misrepresented — knowingly or unknowingly — his affiliation to the Court on 6 February — perhaps to preserve the illusion that OPM's counsel were ignorant of what OPM was doing with the Government-Wide Email System, or perhaps to obscure the role of DOGE and the White House in this case."
^Jeans, David. "A Top Pentagon DOGE Official's Success Story Doesn't Always Add Up". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-04-04. [A] closer examination of Fulcher's career also suggests his accomplishments don't always add up, according to internal company documents and interviews with 10 people who have worked with him. Fulcher's Singapore-based telehealth company, RingMD, for instance, went bankrupt after he raised more than $10 million from investors. His attempt to restart it in the U.S. led to litigation with a business partner, who claims Fulcher owes him hundreds of thousands of dollars. And the half-billion-dollar manufacturing facility promoted by the Biden administration appears to be one of a few claims that never materialized.
^Sullivan, Mark (2025-03-04). "This DOGE staffer's GitHub posts might help us understand how Elon Musk wants to bring AI into the government". Fast Company. Retrieved 2025-04-04. Wick posted the code for a tool that automatically downloads DMs from Twitter accounts. The code specifies Twitter accounts, which existed only until the social platform rebranded to "X" in October 2023, suggesting the possibility that the tool could be used to search through the digital past of government employees looking for disagreeable opinions or references. Another tool appeared to be designed for collecting sensitive data from government agency org charts. The tool contained fields for capturing the employee's office, a 1-5 satisfaction rating, union status, and whether or not their position is statutorily mandated.
^McLaughlin, Jenna (2025-04-15). "A whistleblower's disclosure details how DOGE may have taken sensitive labor data". NPR. Retrieved 2025-04-15. Berulis said he noticed five PowerShell downloads on the system, a task automation program that would allow engineers to run automated commands. There were several code libraries that got his attention — tools that he said appeared to be designed to automate and mask data exfiltration. There was a tool to generate a seemingly endless number of IP addresses called "requests-ip-rotator," and a commonly used automation tool for web developers called "browserless" — both repositories starred or favorited by Wick, the DOGE engineer, according to an archive of his GitHub account reviewed by NPR.
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