Doge overstated claims to have saved Americans $110bn, watchdog finds
A review of the body formerly charged with reducing government spending has found several issues with its calculations.
A watchdog report has found that the Doge organization, which claimed to have saved American taxpayers $110 billion, overstated its claims and lacked supporting evidence. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) reviewed Doge's "Wall of Receipts," which reported these savings across various government contracts and expenditures.
The watchdog noted several issues that limit the transparency and reliability of these reported savings, including a lack of transparency in calculating savings and the inclusion of savings from terminated leases that were already ending before Doge was established. Additionally, the report highlighted that some claimed savings, such as $1.7 billion from ending a defense department contract, were never achieved as the contract was not terminated.
Despite these inaccuracies, Doge's founder Elon Musk had initially promised to save as much as $2 trillion annually through cost-cutting measures. However, Doge's efforts resulted in significant damage to the government's ability to serve the public, with some cost-cutting measures met with legal challenges and reversals.
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