DOGE's 'Wall of Receipts' doesn't add up, government auditors say

Government auditors have cast doubt on the accuracy of the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) "Wall of Receipts," a database that purported to showcase the agency's alleged cost-saving measures across the federal government. According to a recent report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), a non-partisan congressional watchdog, some of DOGE's cost-cutting figures are either incorrect or unsupported by evidence.

The auditors specifically identified over 2,500 contracts that were listed as terminated but were never actually cancelled, resulting in an estimated $27.4 billion in savings that cannot be verified. Furthermore, the auditors found that the savings claimed by DOGE for grants, totaling nearly $110 billion, were not adequately substantiated.

The GAO highlighted that 96% of the grant savings reported by DOGE could not be corroborated, casting serious doubts on the transparency and reliability of the agency's savings claims. The "Wall of Receipts" was launched by DOGE in February 2025, just a month after President Donald Trump established the cost-cutting agency via an executive order.

Musk, the tech billionaire, was initially thrust into the spotlight as the face of DOGE during its short-lived existence. However, Musk stepped down from his role in April 2025, and DOGE ultimately ceased operations in July of that year. The agency was responsible for implementing massive layoffs, effectively dismantling numerous federal departments.

The auditors' report also revealed that DOGE did not consistently apply its own stated methodologies for calculating many of the savings figures, particularly those associated with terminated contracts. Additionally, the "Wall of Receipts" included leases that were already in the process of being terminated before DOGE's official inception.

Specifically, 108 out of 264 leases listed for termination on the "Wall of Receipts," accounting for $15.3 million of the total $53.5 million in savings, were already scheduled for cancellation prior to DOGE's establishment. The auditors urged for the quality issues with the data presented on the "Wall of Receipts" to be prominently displayed to ensure greater transparency and trustworthiness of the information provided by DOGE. As of now, neither DOGE nor the White House has responded to the GAO's report.