Elon Musk and Donald Trump's 'Doge' agency under ethics watchdog's radar. Here's why

American Oversight, a prominent ethics watchdog has raised alarms about Elon Musk's involvement in Donald Trump’s newly proposed "Department of Government Efficiency" (Doge). The group alleges that Doge's use of encrypted messaging apps, such as Signal with auto-delete features, could breach the Federal Records Act (FRA).

Doge, an agency Trump plans to establish to implement drastic government cuts, has sparked ethical concerns due to Musk's significant business interests. American Oversight claims Musk's leadership could create "potential conflicts of interest," given Musk's business empire and Doge's potential influence over federal agencies.

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Encrypted messaging concerns

Reports that Doge members are using Signal's auto-delete feature prompted the watchdog to send warnings on Wednesday (Jan 22) to Musk, Doge, and various federal departments, including Defence, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) was also notified — the watchdog has reportedly urged the archivist to pursue legal action if records are unlawfully destroyed or removed.

The FRA mandates that agencies preserve records that document federal activities, decisions, and policies. American Oversight insists all communications related to Doge, both pre-and post-Trump's inauguration earlier this week, are federal records subject to preservation.

Transparency demands

Chioma Chukwu, American Oversight's interim executive director, criticised what she described as attempts to conceal Doge's activities.

"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," she alleged, as reported by The Guardian.

She warned that "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 stated.

This is not the first time American Oversight has clashed with Trump's administration. The group has previously sued Trump's administration over documents tied to Rudy Giuliani's Ukraine communications and preventable immigrant deaths under ICE custody.

(With inputs from agencies)