 "Musk's Doge gets conflict of interest over warning over use of encrypted messaging apps")
A leading ethics watchdog has issued a conflict of interest warning to Tesla CEO Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), days after US President Donald Trump assumed the Oval Office. The watchdog named American Oversight called out the department’s use of encrypted messaging apps which violates the Federal Records Act (FRA).
The body, which uses litigation to obtain public records and expose government misconduct, argued that Musk’s leadership of the department raises “significant ethical concerns about potential conflicts of interest." The warning came after reports emerged that the members of the department are using the encrypted messaging app Signal, which has an auto-delete feature.
They argued that the use of the application would hinder the prevention of the official records since the department must be discussing cost-cutting measures within the US government. On Wednesday, the watchdog sent a letter to Musk, the “US DOGE Service” (formerly the United States Digital Service) and the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Treasury and Veterans Affairs, and the Office of Management and Budget, The Guardian reported.
What are they arguing about?
A separate notification was also sent to the National Archives and Records Administration, urging the archivists to take action against the department through the attorney general if the documents or any sort of records are unlawfully removed or destroyed. American Oversight argued that all written communications and activities of DOGE before and after US President Donald Trump’s inauguration are federal records and hence they must be preserved.
“Efforts are clearly underway to conceal information that would expose the Trump administration’s plans to gut critical services that benefit the American people, and Doge – led by unelected billionaires poised to benefit from their self-serving machinations – is no exception," Chioma Chukwu, the group’s interim executive director, said in a statement.
“Transparency and accountability are non-negotiable. That is why we have put the administration on notice: comply with your obligation to preserve all Doge-related records, or defend that secrecy in court," she furthered. Interestingly, the watchdog has a history of suing the Trump administration over noncompliance in regards to assuring group transparency.
The group was responsible for exposing Rudy Giuliani’s communications about Ukraine, copies of forged electoral vote certificates in 2020 and records revealing preventable deaths of immigrants in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody. Last year, the watchdog also brought lawsuits concerning Trump nominees Matt Gaetz and Kash Patel.
With inputs from agencies.
 "Trump’s Munir outreach, India tariffs aren’t strategy — it’s about a Nobel: Ex-NSA John Bolton")
 "Zelenskyy could cede some of Ukraine's territory in peace deal: Report")
 "Can Delhi follow the Netherlands’ example to end its stray dog crisis?")
 "Trump 2.0 and the end of strategic trust: Why Bharat must prepare for a long separation from America")
 "Trump’s Munir outreach, India tariffs aren’t strategy — it’s about a Nobel: Ex-NSA John Bolton")
 "Zelenskyy could cede some of Ukraine's territory in peace deal: Report")
 "Can Delhi follow the Netherlands’ example to end its stray dog crisis?")
 "Trump 2.0 and the end of strategic trust: Why Bharat must prepare for a long separation from America")
