The GAO told the Washington Examiner that it denied DOGE’s requests to assign a team at the office because the watchdog is part of the legislative branch and, therefore, not subject to the executive order DOGE cited in its attempt to access it.
“I can confirm that GAO has been contacted by DOGE staffers seeking to assign a team to GAO citing the President’s January 20, 2025, Executive Order entitled, ‘Establishing and Implementing the President’s Department of Government Efficiency.’ As a legislative branch agency, GAO is not subject to Executive Orders and has therefore declined any requests to have a DOGE team assigned to GAO,” a GAO spokesperson told the Washington Examiner.
NOTUS reported that GAO sent an email to employees just after noon Friday with the same information and saying, “We are not subject to DOGE or executive orders.” The email also noted that GAO has “notified relevant congressional committees and will keep them apprised of any further developments.”
The GAO “examines how taxpayer dollars are spent and provides Congress and federal agencies with objective, non-partisan, fact-based information to help the government save money and work more efficiently,” according to their website.
The Washington Examiner reported in April that the GAO was auditing DOGE. The watchdog’s audit had been taking place since March, according to Wired. It came after several Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), called on GAO to review DOGE.
Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-WA) told NOTUS that Elon Musk and DOGE should “get lost.”
“The law is crystal clear: GAO is a legislative branch agency not subject to DOGE or the president’s whims. It is an indispensable, impartial government watchdog, and its independence must remain. My message to Elon and DOGE: get lost,” she said.
The office’s union, IFPTE Local 1921, said it has “full confidence” that the GAO leadership will protect its employees.
“We have full confidence that GAO leadership will protect and defend GAO’s independence, as the comptroller general and executive committee have made clear at prior town halls,” an email obtained by the outlet said.
TRACKING WHAT DOGE IS DOING ACROSS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
DOGE may view GAO as redundant, given that the cost-cutting agency is doing much of the same work on a vast scale.
That could mean the GAO is a target for cuts.
