Trump says DOGE work led to fraud referrals to Justice Department

Trump says fraud cases referred to DOJ from Musk-led DOGE

Robert Besser
03 May 2025, 12:25 GMT+10

Trump says DOGE work led to fraud referrals to Justice Department

U.S. President Donald Trump said this week that some fraud cases had been reported to the Justice Department based on findings from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a cost-cutting agency led by Elon Musk, a billionaire and Trump supporter
Since Trump took office on January 20, his administration has been cutting government spending through DOGE
This effort has led to major cuts at several agencies and the loss of over 200,000 federal workers. The campaign has faced lawsuits and legal challenges

WASHINGTON, D.C.: U.S. President Donald Trump said this week that some fraud cases had been reported to the Justice Department based on findings from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a cost-cutting agency led by Elon Musk, a billionaire and Trump supporter.

When asked in an ABC News interview if DOGE had referred any fraud cases, Trump replied, "Of course there have been," but didn't say who was involved. He repeated several times that fraud referrals had been made.

Since Trump took office on January 20, his administration has been cutting government spending through DOGE. This effort has led to major cuts at several agencies and the loss of over 200,000 federal workers. The campaign has faced lawsuits and legal challenges.

Critics say the cuts are reckless and harmful, especially to emergency aid and international support. But Trump and Musk argue that they are necessary to stop waste and fraud.

Musk has said he will step down from leading DOGE next month. His temporary government role ends in May, though he plans to keep helping Trump, just not full-time.

With Musk stepping back, DOGE's future is uncertain. However, experts believe the cost-cutting will continue. A DOGE website claims it has saved U.S. taxpayers $160 billion, but it has been full of mistakes and needed corrections.