Government Accountability Office auditing Musk-led DOGE – Washington Examiner
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is currently conducting an audit involving the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by elon Musk. This review follows requests from several Democratic lawmakers expressing concerns about DOGE’s actions across various federal agencies. According to Sarah Kaczmarek, managing director of GAO’s Office of Public Affairs, the GAO’s initial steps focus on determining the audit’s scope and methodology, preventing them from sharing further details at this stage.
The audit, which began in March, has been prompted by worries over accountability, particularly after the removal of inspectors general from relevant departments. Critics argue that DOGE, which aims to eliminate waste and fraud within the federal government, could be operating illegally and potentially risking sensitive data access, particularly through the Treasury department’s payment systems. Additionally, various Democratic attorneys general and advocacy groups have initiated lawsuits against DOGE to prevent its oversight activities.
DOGE defends its work by emphasizing the significant financial waste it aims to address, including findings related to fraudulent unemployment insurance payments. As the situation evolves, concerns about oversight and government clarity continue to be at the forefront of discussions surrounding DOGE and its initiatives.
Government Accountability Office auditing Musk-led DOGE
The Government Accountability Office is auditing the Department of Government Efficiency, which is itself responsible for reviewing other federal agencies.
On Thursday, the independent, nonpartisan agency confirmed to the Washington Examiner that it “has received requests to review actions taken by DOGE across multiple agencies.”
“The first thing GAO does as any work begins is to determine the full scope of what we will cover and the methodology to be used. Until that is done, we cannot provide any additional details or estimates on when the work will be completed,” Sarah Kaczmarek, the managing director of GAO’s Office of Public Affairs, said.
The watchdog’s audit has been taking place since March, according to Wired. It comes after several Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), called on GAO to review DOGE, which is led by Elon Musk.
“This is a constitutional emergency, Insofar as the Inspectors General of both the Departments of Education and Labor have been fired by President [Donald] Trump, there is now a void of oversight for a very young and inexperienced team and their leader [Musk], the world’s richest man who operates with ‘autonomy almost no one can control,’ as they gain dangerously broad powers,” Scott wrote in February.
DOGE, an initiative seeking to root waste and fraud out of the federal government, has long faced accusations that it is illegally operating, exposing vulnerable data, and violating the Constitution.
Opposition to Musk’s department has particularly centered on its access to sensitive data through the Treasury Department’s payment system, which manages the flow of trillions of dollars of federal payments, including Social Security and Medicare funds.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT WHO IS IN CHARGE OF DOGE
Groups of Democratic attorneys general and various left-wing groups have filed lawsuits against DOGE to block it from scrutinizing government agencies and accessing data from systems including the Treasury’s payment portal.
DOGE has argued that corrupt officials and organizations are trying to block its efforts to cover up corruption, saying that hundreds of billions of dollars are wasted in government spending annually. One of the initiatives’ latest findings of fraudulent activity surrounding $382 million in unemployment insurance payments was confirmed by the Department of Labor on Thursday.
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