Billionaire Elon Musk is categorized as a “special government employee” through his work with the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, a cost-cutting initiative created by President Trump to find ways to trim federal spending.
Musk’s employee status was confirmed by White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt on Monday, although she added that she wasn’t sure whether the Tesla CEO has gained security clearance.
DOGE, which isn’t a federal department, has drawn criticism from Democratic lawmakers and sparked several lawsuits since Mr. Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, with some claiming Musk’s DOGE is violating various laws. For instance, two unions and the Alliance for Retired Americans, an advocacy group for older people and retirees, sued on Feb. 3 over DOGE’s access to the Treasury Department’s payment systems — which handle everything from tax refunds to Social Security payments — alleging that the move breaches privacy regulations.
That lawsuit pointed out that, at the time of its filing, Musk’s status with the federal government was unclear.
“The Trump administration has not publicly revealed whether Mr. Musk has been made an officer or employee of the U.S. government or remains a private citizen,” the lawsuit states. “The Trump administration also has not publicly revealed the employment status of other individuals who are part of DOGE.”
In an emailed statement to CBS MoneyWatch, Leavitt said, “Elon Musk is a special government employee and has…
