U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that there were referrals for fraud made to the Justice Department based on the findings of the Department of Government Efficiency, the cost-cutting agency that Trump ally and billionaire Elon Musk spearheaded.
In an interview with ABC News aired on Tuesday, Trump said, “Of course, there have been referrals for fraud from the work of DOGE.”
Trump did not give details on who the allegations were against, but repeated that there have been referrals several times during the interview.
Since taking office on January 20, the Trump administration has been on a cost-cutting spree overseen by the DOGE.
The drive has seen the gutting and attempted dismantling of multiple agencies and the firings of over 200,000 federal workers. It has faced legal challenges and lawsuits.
However, Critics have portrayed the spending cuts as reckless and dangerous, particularly in emergency and humanitarian assistance abroad, while Trump and Musk say they are needed to fight waste and fraud.
Musk has said he will step back next month from his role overseeing DOGE. His 130-day mandate as a special government employee was set to expire at the end of May. He said he will continue to help Trump overhaul the government, but not full-time.
His reduced role leaves DOGE’s future in doubt, but governance experts said they believe the cost-cutting will continue.
A DOGE website that gives regular updates on what it claims it has saved U.S. taxpayers – $160 billion to date – has been riddled with errors and corrections.
