GAO Identifies 206 DOGE Staffers but Cannot Confirm They Did Ethics Training — Ten Agencies and the White House Would Not Hand Over the Records

The Government Accountability Office published a report on Aug. 5, 2026, identifying 206 people who held Department of Government Efficiency positions in the Executive Office of the President between Jan. 20, 2025, and Jan. 31, 2026, including 27 special government employees, a category that lets people keep private jobs while serving. GAO could not verify whether those staffers completed ethics or records-management training or filed financial disclosures. The Executive Office of the President said DOGE personnel received the same training as other EOP staff but provided no records to confirm it, and did not respond to GAO’s interview requests. Ten agencies also failed to supply the requested records. Nine agencies did report on 64 DOGE personnel: 49 had completed ethics training, 18 records-management training, and 38 had filed financial disclosures.

Special government employees can hold outside financial interests that conflict with their federal duties — an issue raised repeatedly about Elon Musk, DOGE’s former de facto head and an SGE, whose companies hold billions of dollars in federal contracts. GAO also could not determine the appointment type for more than 150 of the 206. The Office of Government Ethics told GAO it has limited responsibility for DOGE personnel, has not reviewed an EOP ethics program since 2023, and has no plans to review the U.S. DOGE Service’s program in the next four years.

The DOGE temporary organization terminated July 4, 2026, but GAO noted the executive order permanently renamed an existing White House office as the U.S. DOGE Service, so related work could continue. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.