The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, has deactivated over 200,000 unused government credit cards following an extensive audit.

In February, DOGE reported identifying approximately USD 4.6 million government credit cards, responsible for over 90 million transactions totalling more than USD 40 billion. The recent cancellation of 200,000 cards, according to DOGE is a step toward reducing administrative costs and enhancing fiscal responsibility within federal agencies.

The audit revealed that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) had the highest expenditure, surpassing USD 17.3 billion, followed by the Department of Defense (DoD) with over USD 11.2 billion. These findings have prompted DOGE to collaborate with various agencies to simplify programmes and cut unnecessary spending further.

DOGE Facing Legal Scrutiny

Currently, both DOGE and Elon Musk are facing legal challenges regarding the authority and transparency of the agency. A group of 14 Democratic state attorneys general has filed a lawsuit claiming that Musk’s involvement and actions within DOGE are unconstitutional, as he has not been confirmed by the Senate. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan has ordered Musk and DOGE to produce documents and answer questions related to their efforts to reduce federal agencies, terminate employees, and cancel contracts. The judge emphasized the importance of identifying DOGE officials who are embedded in the government and clarifying the scope of their authority.

Additionally, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that DOGE must comply with Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, rejecting the argument that DOGE is exempt due to its status within the President’s Executive Office.

This decision mandates the release of records related to DOGE’s operations, underscoring the importance of transparency in government activities.

READ: US judge says Musk’s DOGE must release records on operations run in ‘secrecy’