Network of the Department of Government Efficiency

The network of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) consists of affiliates and allies associated with Trump’s efficiency initiative during his second presidency. …

DOGE members have been classified into leadership, staffers and allies; allies either have no formal affiliation with DOGE or joined the administration through other means. Types of staffer resemble DOGE teams mentioned in the first executive order: executive, tech, and lawyer. An “affiliate” is thus either a leader or a staffer.

DOGE involvement extends beyond employee status: personnel consisted of volunteers at first. While the Office of Presidential Personnel made political loyalty to Trump a cornerstone of its hiring strategy, DOGE employees were onboarded through a separate Musk-led process. Musk said in March 2025 that there are around 100 employees and that he planned to double the staff. Special government employees have an advisory role limited to a 130-day work period that can be paid or unpaid. Those who earn a substantial salary have to disclose it. Unlike federal workers, special employees are allowed to keep outside salaries and may not need to disclose conflicts of interest.

Many DOGE members are embedded in other government units under specific roles. At least 23 employees hired at the OPM between Jan. 20 and Feb. 20 worked for DOGE. By March, DOGE was installed at GSA and SSA. DOGE teams have been detailed to almost every executive branch agency; six members affiliated to GSA tried to embed DOGE teams in units outside of it.

Wired [here] mapped four connections: Musk (roughly 40 DOGE members were tied to him), conservative lawyers, Trump, and Silicon Valley. ProPublica [here] found 29 executive managers, 28 engineers, 16 investors, and 12 lawyers; more came from finance than any other field; it also found that most staffers are young (60% under 40) men (83% male) with limited government experience. Bloomberg [here] found connections between DOGE members and either Musk or Thiel.

At least 23 DOGE officials are making cuts at agencies that regulate where they previously worked. Many DOGE members made financial contributions to the Trump campaign.

Besides appearing in lists, DOGE affiliates were covered with specific news of their exploits. Five were named when NBC broke the news that DOGE transferred data out of the Department of Labor on February 13: Sam Beyda, Derek Geissler, Cole Killian, Adam Ramada and Jordan Wick. On June 16, the New York Times listed the key 8 DOGE official involved with SSA.

Lambert here: Names tagged below.