- United States
- Wash.
- Letter
Troubling revelations have come to light about Elon Musk's government takeover through the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). WIRED has identified six young engineers with nebulous roles and little relevant experience who have been granted extraordinary access and authority within key federal agencies like the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and General Services Administration (GSA). These individuals - Akash Bobba, Edward Coristine, Luke Farritor, Gautier Cole Killian, Gavin Kliger, and Ethan Shaotran - are mostly in their early 20s or even teenagers, with backgrounds primarily tied to Musk's companies or associates like Peter Thiel. Some appear to still be students. Yet they have been given high-level clearances, access to classified systems and data on millions of Americans, and the ability to question government employees about their roles. This unprecedented power grab by private actors with no public accountability raises serious concerns about regulatory capture, conflicts of interest, and the exploitation of government resources for personal agendas. I urge you to launch an immediate investigation into how these unqualified individuals obtained such sweeping privileges and to take decisive action to safeguard sensitive government functions from this undemocratic overreach. The public deserves full transparency on the extent of Musk's intrusion and assurances that our institutions will be protected.