DOGE Pushes For Investigations Into Government Officials’ Wealth
The Department of Government Efficiency Service (DOGE), led by Elon Musk with President Donald Trump’s backing, is focusing on public officials who have amassed fortunes while serving in government roles. The effort is part of a broader push to identify corruption and financial mismanagement within federal agencies.
Musk, appearing with Trump at the White House, raised questions about how some bureaucrats have grown rich on government salaries. “There are quite a few people in the bureaucracy who have a salary of a few hundred thousand dollars but somehow managed to accrue tens of millions of dollars in net worth,” he said. He suggested that DOGE would investigate how this wealth was acquired.
The initiative follows Trump’s executive order expanding DOGE’s power over federal agencies. The order directs agencies to consult with DOGE on cost-cutting and hiring freezes while implementing large-scale workforce reductions. Trump declined to say whether he would seek congressional approval for these moves.
Musk cited USAID as one of the agencies under review, questioning financial oversight and control over spending. “The reason departments can’t pass audits is because payments don’t have categorization codes. It’s just blank checks flying out of the building,” he said.
The administration has announced the cancellation of nearly $900 million in government contracts but has yet to provide details on which contracts were affected. Musk has also suggested that DOGE is compiling a report on the net worth of senior federal employees, though it remains unclear how this data is being obtained.
Trump and Musk’s aggressive approach to cutting federal spending has already triggered multiple lawsuits from labor unions and state attorneys general. Despite legal challenges, Musk insists that DOGE will continue pursuing cases of waste and fraud at all levels of government.
