Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency initiative is eyeing having staffers assigned to work at all institutes and agencies that receive federal funding via congressional appropriations, according to a new report.
The revelation came to light Tuesday during a 20-minute phone call between DOGE representatives and leaders of the nonprofit Vera Institute of Justice, The Washington Post reported. DOGE representatives said they're mulling potentially attaching members to more organizations and institutes that receive government funding, according to the report.
A member of DOGE emailed the organization last week seeking to schedule a meeting about “getting a DOGE team assigned to the organization,” an email reviewed by the Post said.
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“If I do not hear from you, I will assume you do not plan to comply with the President’s Executive Order,” the email said.
During the meeting, the nonprofit informed DOGE that it no longer received federal money after Trump's Justice Department yanked $5 million in grant money it was getting to create programs related to reducing recidivism and aiding victims of violent crimes.
Once DOGE members heard that, they wrapped up the meeting, "realizing it was no longer necessary," the report said.
Nick Turner, president of the institute, slammed the Trump administration's latest move in a statement to the Post.
“This administration has systematically attacked every aspect of civil society, from academia to law firms and the media, and is now coming after the nonprofit sector,” Turner said. “We can only surmise that these tactics seek to silence us. It will not happen. We will not back down.”
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, senior fellow at American Immigration Council, blasted DOGE's plan on X.
"This is positively Soviet. Vera is a nonprofit organization. The government can’t embed people there like political commissars," he said.