Norms Impact
DOGE Is Accused of Wasting $21.7 Billion in Just 6 Months
An entity promising “maximum transparency” is accused of imposing costly directives and unverifiable savings claims—normalizing unaccountable power inside the federal civil service.
Jul 31, 2025
Sources
Summary
A report alleges DOGE wasted $21.7 billion in six months through unrecoverable grants, program shutdowns, and time-consuming compliance directives. The episode reflects a governance model defined by ambiguous authority, a transitory mission, and savings claims that cannot be independently verified. The practical consequence is measurable loss of public funds and productive labor inside federal agencies, with lasting friction added to routine government operations.
Reality Check
Unverifiable savings claims coupled with costly mandates erode our ability to hold government power to account, and they normalize a model where authority operates without transparent, auditable proof—ultimately weakening citizens’ rights to honest governance. On this record alone, criminal liability is not clearly established because the conduct described centers on alleged waste, mismanagement, and opaque reporting rather than identifiable theft, bribery, or false statements tied to specific submissions; absent more facts, 18 U.S.C. § 641 (theft), § 371 (conspiracy), and § 1001 (false statements) cannot be squarely applied. What is plainly at stake is the collapse of baseline administrative norms: transparency that can be verified, directives justified by measurable public benefit, and accountability for costs imposed on agencies and taxpayers. If we accept “ambiguous authority” and “unverifiable claims” as standard practice, we invite a future where public resources can be redirected without meaningful democratic oversight.
Detail
<p>A report alleges wasteful federal spending tied to DOGE actions and directives, including $4.5 million in unrecoverable expenditures from three grants at the National Institutes of Health and $33.5 million associated with the shutdown of the IRS Direct File program.</p><p>The report also challenges DOGE’s public savings claims. Although DOGE states it has saved $199 billion to date, the report cites a comprehensive review of DOGE’s website finding nearly 90% of claimed savings were unverifiable.</p><p>Beyond direct expenditures, the report attributes productivity losses to additional compliance requirements. It states weekly “Five things” emails imposed on workers consumed millions of hours and amounted to $155 million in wasted time, while noting OPM “has no intention of reviewing” those emails. The report further cites relocation costs linked to a directive requiring federal agencies to terminate remote work, estimating $42 million in costs at OPM alone.</p>