Here’s what to know about DOGE – and what government systems it has access to

On By Littum

Topline

One of the workers at the Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, most involved in the agency’s access to the Ministry of Finance’s payment system, which allegedly retired on Thursday after racist social media posts bound to him emerged – the latest in the controversy and criticism of DODE.

Timeline

16:00 EST, 6th FebruaryMarko Elez, one of the two primary DODE broadcasts embedded in the Ministry of Finance, withdrew from the muscular agency, the White House told Wall Street Journal, after the publication revealed Elez’s ties to a page-plated X account with racist positions, including calling for “eugenic immigration policy” and to “normalize Indian hatred.”

The 25-year-old Elez previously worked for Musk’s X and SpaceX, according to the journal.

Forbes contacted the White House to comment on Elez.

14.00 EST, 6th FebruaryTreasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Bloomberg DODE “Tinker” does not with the public payment systems to which the agency has access, and Musk’s agency conducts an “operational review” of government payments, not an “ideological review” (Musk’s statements have often turned to the latter, Ringer The US Agency of International Development A “Criminal Organization.”)

“Elon and I are completely in line with regard to cutting waste and increasing the accountability and transparency of the American people,” Bessent added.

6 FebruaryPeople with ties to DODE use AI – Access via Microsoft’s Azure Service – to sort through educational department data with “Personally identifiable information to people administering grants, as well as sensitive internal financial data” while looking for ways to save government money on across departments, the Washington Post Reported with reference to two named people (a spokesman for a department told the post that they are looking for efficiency and there is “nothing inappropriate or dishonest”).

6 FebruaryJudge Colleen Collar-Kotelly approved one agreement It gives Tom Krause and Marko Elez-to Musk Associates, who work as a special government-employed ability to see the Treasury Department data “as needed” on a read-only basis.

The agreement is a temporary solution that will remain in place until Collar-Kotelly meets a further judgment on the trial brought by non-profit organizations and unions seeking to limit Dog’s access to the Treasury’s private financial data.

8:40 EST, 6th FebruaryDogi workers have access to employee data from the Office of Personnel Administration, essentially the federal government staff arm, the Washington Post reported Thursday with reference to four anonymous US officials – the data includes addresses, demographics and social security numbers, and DOGE’s access includes the possibility of editing employee registries (there is no evidence DOGE staff have edited any items).

February 5thAttorneys in the Ministry of Justice on Wednesday agreed on a proposal that would limit Dog’s access to the critical Finance Ministry of Finance’s payment system after a trial, with only two Musk Associates now allowed to have “writing-art” access.

February 5thCenters for Medicare and Medicaid Services Released a declaration About his collaboration with DOGE and said that two senior agency wet veterans are working with DOGE, and they “take a thought -provoking approach to see where there may be opportunities for more efficient and effective use of resources in accordance with achieving the goals of President Trump.”

12:01 PM EST, 5th FebruaryMusk Quote-tweetet a post On X, formerly known as Twitter, with a screen shot of the Wall Street Journal’s reporting on DOGE was on Medicare and said, “Yes, this is where the big money -swindlers happen.”

11.00 EST, 5th FebruaryDOGE -TEAM MEMBERS WERE AT ATTACHED ATTES AT CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES TO LOOK FOR FRAUGHT OR WASTE, Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal reported that quoted people who were familiar with the case who said doge representatives had access to payment and contracting systems.

17:40 EST, 4th FebruaryTreasury sent one letter To the congress who says it is “obliged to protect the system’s integrity and security” and “fiscal service is convinced that protection is robust and effective,” adds that Tom Krause is associated with DOGE, but is a Treasury Employee , “Read-Only has access to the coded data for fiscal services’ payment systems” in an attempt to undergo efficiency.

16.00 EST, 4th FebruarySens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., And Ron Wyden, D-Or., requested The Government’s Responsibility Office is investigating Bessents “decision to give access to sensitive state payment systems to Elon Musk and other” Doge employees specifically asking them to identify if there Safe there are no conflicts of interest with musk.

15:45 EST, February 3The Senate Democrats held a news conference where they expressed their concern About Musk Access to the Federal Payment System, where Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., says “a non-elected shadow government, performs a hostile takeover of federal government,” and senator Patty Murray, D-Wash., To say Musk “hijacked our country’s most sensitive financial systems and its checkbook.”

February 3rd The American Federation of Government -Employees and other unions sued the Ministry of Finance in an attempt to reduce Doges access to state treasury data.

February 1stThe Associated Press and New York Times Reported Bessent gave DOGE access to the sensitive state treasury data, giving Musk a “powerful tool to monitor and potentially limit public spending”, according to Times.

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What is DODE?

Musk floated the idea of ​​DODE in September before Trump was selected, and shortly after, Trump said He wanted to create it and make Musk lead it. After winning the election, Trump Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy appointed the commission and advised them to “cut out excess rules, cut wasted expenses and restructure federal agencies.” DODE was officially created via one Executive Order On Trump’s first day in the office, an existing device, the US digital service, restructured to be the US Doge service. It is not a new federal agency or a department and many members of the team have been appointed “special government employees”, according to Congressional Research Service.

Which authority has DODE?

There is no clear overview in the executive order that creates DODE about what authority it has. According to the order, the role of the “implementing the President’s DODE agenda is by modernizing federal technology and software to maximize government efficiency and productivity.” The order said the Doge administrator will work with agency managers to improve the effectiveness of software and how agencies work with each other and collect data. DOGE -MPs have reportedly been given access to sensitive data and information upon request.

Does Elon Musk work for the government?

Musk is a “special employee of the government.” The Ministry of Justice Defines The role of any employee expected to work for the federal government for up to 130 days and they are prohibited from participating in issues that may have financial conflicts of interest or from using their role to influence a choice or participating in political activity, While they are on duty. The role of a special government employee is subject to most rules and guidelines that apply to federal employees, but they can be “less restrictive” because the role is temporary. Musk is Reported not paid for his work in the White House.

Who works for DOGE?

It is unclear who works for DODE. On November 14, 2024, Doge’s account on x asked People to direct the message of the account with their resume if they were “Superhøj-IQ small-government revolutionaries who were willing to work 80+ hours a week at Uglamorous cost-saving.” On February 2nd, Cable published an article that they were able to identify six engineers between the ages of 19 and 24 who worked for DOGE who had ties to other muscle companies or billionaire Peter Thiel. Katie Drummond, Wired’s Global Editorial Director, told CNN “It’s a little difficult to find out exactly what they’re doing,” but Wired was able to decide that they “work after musk … on a number of technical related tasks.” But in one letter Sent from eight Senate Democrats to Head of Staff for the White House Susie Wiles requesting more information about what DOGE does, the legislators said “No information has been given to Congress or the public about who is formally employed under DOGE.”

What departments do DOGE work in?

DOGE has been found to have done most of his work with USAID, which Musk has said-except evidence-is “incredibly political partical” and a “politically radical-left political psyche.” Since Musk began discussing USAID on Monday, the Agency has placed direct rental personnel globally on administrative leave with few exceptions, and some USAID employees were seen clearing their desks. In addition to that, Said DOGE On January 24, which in its first 80 hours of operation, it canceled “about $ 420 million of current/impending contracts” and two leases, while focusing “mainly on the DEI contracts and unoccupied buildings.” Thursday, Washington Post Reported DOGE analyzed the Education Department’s expenses using artificial intelligence. It is suspected that Musk was involved in Office of Personal Management’s Buyout offering for all federal employees and he previously proposed The government was to close the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that was corrected earlier this week to pause its work, Reuters reported.

What is Democrats doing to stop DOGE?

Tuesday, more than 1,000 protesters gathered outside the Washington Treasury, DC, to protest Dog’s actions, and more than two dozen democratic legislators spoke on the collection, The Associated Press reported. Democrats also teased the “Stop the Steal” law on Tuesday, which houses minority leader Hakeep Jeffries, DN.Y., said would “prevent (DOGE’s) illegal access from taking place.” Democrats tried to sue Musk on Wednesday to get more information about his actions and Dog’s work, but the Congress Republicans blocked the subpoena, ABC News reported. The supreme Democrat in the house’s Supervisory Committee, Rep. Gerald Connolly, D-VA., Said Musk’s role is “amazing” for many people and adds: “Who is this non-elected billionaire that he can try to dismantle federal agencies, firefighters, people, transfer them, offer them early retirement and Sweeping changes to agencies without any congress review, supervision or agreement?

Additional reading

Trade unions are suing to stop Elon Musk’s DODE in accessing the Treasury Department Data (Forbes)

Elon Musk’s team now has access to Treasury’s payment system (New York Times)

Elon Musk’s DODE -TEAM mines for fraud at Medicare and Medicaid Agency CMS (Bloomberg)

What is Elon Musk’s role, exactly? The White House calls him ‘Special Government Employee’ – here is what it means (Forbes)