Anamika Dey, editor
Brief news
- Elon Musk is appointed as a “special government employee” in the Trump administration, tasked with reducing federal expenses through the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
- Special government employees like Musk can work up to 130 days a year, with fewer disclosure obligations than full-time federal employees.
- Critics express concern over potential conflicts of interest due to Musk’s ownership of SpaceX, which has received substantial federal contracts.
Detailed news
WASHINGTON— According to a White House insider, Elon Musk is working in the Trump administration as a “special government employee.”
It is a title that indicates that Musk, the technology billionaire and staunch supporter of Trump, is neither working as a volunteer or a full-time employee. President Donald Trump has sent Musk on a mission to reduce expenses throughout the federal government. Special government personnel are expected to follow conflict-of-interest laws and ethical policies, which are usually less strict than those for federal employees. They avoid some of the disclosure obligations that are necessary for full-time workers because they are temporary positions.
According to someone who is knowledgeable about the position, personnel in this post can work a maximum of 130 days in a calendar year, and the days can be divided up (for example, Musk can work half a day, and it will only count as half a day).
On his first day in office, Trump issued an executive order to create the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) inside the Executive Office of the President. He also renamed the U.S. Digital Service to the U.S. DOGE Service. Later, he appointed Musk to run DOGE.
The executive order that reorganized the U.S. Digital Service granted DOGE the responsibility to “maximize governmental efficiency and productivity.” The DOGE team can consist of agency officials or freshly hired temporary staff members who are designated as special government employees, just like Musk.
SpaceX, which is owned by Musk, has received billions of dollars in contracts from the federal government. Critics have raised concerns that this could be a conflict of interest.
The Congressional Research Service has reported that special government employees are restricted in the number of days they can work each year. They cannot work more than 130 days in any 365-day period.
On Monday, Trump stated that Musk’s DOGE would not act without the authority of the White House and that Musk would not always get his way.
Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, “Elon can’t do anything and won’t do anything without our approval. We will give him the approval when it is appropriate, and we will not give him the approval when it is not appropriate.” “He checks in. … However, he does possess a strong innate instinct.
Musk, who is the richest person in the world, has been quick to promote what he claims are the political benefits of reducing government spending. On Monday, he wrote on X, his social media platform, “Nothing polls higher than cutting government spending.”
Musk has criticized international aid expenditures, referring to the U.S. Agency for International Development as a “crazy waste of money.” He also stated in comments made early Monday morning that he and Trump are “in the process” of closing down the agency.
DOGE has already taken credit for significant cutbacks, including $44.6 million in lease terminations for facilities that are not being used, contracts linked to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility totaling $1 billion, and more than $40 billion to pay foreign aid.
Source: CNBC news
