DOGE Provides Tech Billionaire Musk Access to Vast Federal Data
President Donald Trump has established the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), placing tech billionaire Elon Musk at its helm and granting him unprecedented access to sensitive federal data, Bloomberg reports.
The new entity, created through an executive order, is structured as a temporary government organization, a rarely used mechanism typically reserved for national security matters.
While Trump touts DOGE as a way to slash federal spending by as much as $2 trillion, the agency’s official mandate focuses on “Modernizing Federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity.” To achieve this, Trump’s order compels federal agencies to grant the DOGE administrator, potentially Musk, “full and prompt access to all unclassified agency records, software systems, and IT systems.”
This sweeping access has raised immediate concerns about potential conflicts of interest, given Musk’s vast business empire spanning social media (X), artificial intelligence (xAI), electric vehicles (Tesla), space exploration (SpaceX), infrastructure (The Boring Company) and neurotechnology (Neuralink). He has billions in government contracts with NASA and the Department of Defense and is regulated by numerous federal agencies.
Unusual Structure Raises Ethical Questions
The unusual structure of DOGE, established as a temporary organization rather than a traditional agency, allows it to bypass certain disclosure requirements. This means top officials, including Musk, could serve without publicly disclosing their extensive financial holdings. Additionally, DOGE can accept volunteer labor, something typically forbidden in other government sectors. While a traditional federal employee salary of up to $212,100 is an option, the compensation structure for Musk remains unclear.
While a “temporary organization” is meant to be disbanded within three years, critics fear this is more than enough time for it to accomplish its goals.
Critics also point out the entity’s use of a temporary organization structure allows it to bypass certain requirements, namely public meetings and broad stakeholder involvement.
Lawsuits, Opposition Arise
The move has already triggered legal challenges. Public Citizen, the State Democracy Defenders Fund, and the American Federation of Government Employees have filed suit against Trump, alleging that DOGE is “shrouded in secrecy” and could “benefit a small minority of individuals at the expense of the vast majority of the public.” They argue that the lack of transparency and oversight creates opportunities for corruption and abuse.
DOGE in Operation
Trump’s executive order also renamed the US Digital Service as the US DOGE Service, which will provide staffing for the new agency. Musk already has a White House email address, and the DOGE has been assigned office space in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
The administration maintains that this move will streamline government operations and save taxpayers billions. However, watchdog groups are demanding greater transparency and safeguards to prevent abuse of power and potential self-dealing.
