Musk, DOGE exposed for exaggerating $55bln. cuts: WashPo
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Savings claimed by Elon Musk's DOGE as part of his controversial cost-cutting initiative have been found to be non-existent, exposing the billionaire and the Trump administration.
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Elon Musk listens as President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with the House GOP conference, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington (AP)
The US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, exaggerated savings by $55 billion, attributing them to contract cancellations, layoffs, and lease renegotiations. However, some of these savings were found to be non-existent, The Washington Post reported on Saturday.
An analysis of DOGE documents by The Washington Post revealed that out of 1,125 contracts claimed as canceled, 417 had already been completed and paid for. Another 51 contracts yielded less than $1 million in savings. Additionally, after these documents were published on DOGE’s website, the estimated savings figure was revised down by $9.3 billion.
The newspaper cited experts who noted that DOGE calculated savings based on the maximum potential contract payments, even though actual government spending often falls below these limits. The White House defended this approach, arguing that the government could, in theory, be liable for the full contract amounts.
"In many instances, such contracts do hit their maximum amount, and since the government could be liable for the full total, it is appropriate to count up to that limit," a White House official told the newspaper.
On Thursday, US President Donald Trump stated that DOGE had uncovered hundreds of millions of dollars in government spending on items whose purposes were unclear.
DOGE's crackdown causes controversy
Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency has been cracking down on many US agencies and departments, claiming to combat corruption, bureaucracy, and government spending, however, the execution of this strategy was not spared any controversy.
Over 9,500 jobs were cut from US departments concerned with nuclear security, public lands, and health programs as part of DOGE's efforts; around 2000 employees from the Department of Energy were laid off, while the Department of Interior saw 2,300 workers fired.
Concerns were raised regarding the nation's ability to handle public health crises after 1,300 employees were fired from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost one-third of its staff.
Previously, agents from DOGE gained access to restricted government records on millions of federal employees in several departments, including those in sensitive positions in the US Treasury and State Department, raising concerns of misuse or security breaches.
The agents received administrative access to the Office of Personnel Management's systems, days after Trump's inauguration, allowing them to install and modify software, as well as alter internal records of their activities.
