A 25-year-old staff member of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) resigned on Thursday (Feb 6) after questions were raised about his connection with a social media account promoting racism against various ethnicities, including Indians. 

Advertisment

Also read: ‘Can’t do anything without our approval’: Trump hints at leash on Musk as DOGE ramps up govt purge

The White House was questioned about Marko Elez, one of the two department staff members who gained access to the US Treasury's payment system. The second employee to have access is Tom Krause, the chief executive of Cloud Software Group Inc. 

Elez had a profile on Elon Musk's social media platform, where he supported "eugenic immigration policy." He also called for the repeal of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. 

Advertisment

Also read: ‘DOGE digging its own grave’: Internet slams billionaire Elon Musk over DOGE’s long work hours remark

In one of his posts in September 2024, Elez reportedly said one "can not pay" him for marrying outside his ethnicity. 

In another post, he referred to the Indian nationals working in the technology sector in Silicon Valley and encouraged others to "normalise Indian hate". 

Advertisment

According to the Wall Street Journal, Elez had a post in which he said, "Just for the record, I was racist before it was cool." 

Also read: Who is Akash Bobba, 22-year-old Indian-origin tech prodigy hired by Musk's DOGE?

US Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed his resignation. 

As per WSJ, Elez posted in December 2024 that Indian workers in the US on H1B visas are "going back, don't worry guys." 

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

Commenting on the Israel-Hamas conflict, the ex-DOGE member said, “I would not mind at all if Gaza and Israel were both wiped off the face of the Earth.”

This came after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview with Bloomberg that he had personally reviewed the background of both employees of Musk's DOGE team. 

WATCH: Musk's Doge adopts 'AI first' strategy: will it help save taxpayers money?

"These are highly trained professionals," he said in the interview. 

(With inputs from agencies)