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The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is once again under fire as discrepancies emerge in its latest cost-cutting claims. For the second time in two weeks, DOGE’s self-published “receipts” of canceled contracts fail to match its savings figures, raising serious questions about the agency’s transparency and accuracy.
On Monday, DOGE released an updated “wall of receipts,” doubling the number of listed contracts to 2,299. Despite this, the total itemized savings plunged from $16.6 billion to $9.6 billion. However, DOGE is now claiming an even higher overall savings figure—$65 billion, up from $55 billion last week—without providing supporting documentation.
“$65 billion is about 0.9% of the federal budget,” a government budget analyst told CBS News. “While that sounds significant, without clear documentation, it’s impossible to verify if these numbers are real.”
Errors and Double Counting Plague DOGE’s Report
The latest DOGE update contains multiple inaccuracies, including double, triple, and even quadruple counting of contracts. Experts reviewing the figures have identified several concerning discrepancies:
- A quadruple listing of a $25 million DEI training contract at the Department of Agriculture, leading DOGE to incorrectly claim $100 million in savings instead of $25 million.
- A blanket purchase agreement at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is listed three times, each claiming $15 million in savings, inflating the total.
- A Consumer Financial Protection Bureau contract was mistakenly recorded twice for $9,999,999 each, overstating the savings.
- A $1.965 billion savings claim from a previously reported contract was adjusted to different amounts—including a line item claiming just 35 cents in savings.
- A typographical error in a previously listed contract claimed $8 billion in savings, when the actual contract was only worth $8 million. The contractor, D&G Solutions, confirmed that $3.8 million had already been spent, yet DOGE continues to claim an inaccurate $8 million in savings.
- DOGE took credit for selling a federal building in Washington, D.C., but records show the building was auctioned off under the Biden administration for $4 million.
Experts Question DOGE’s Accounting Practices
Michael LeJeune, a government contracts expert, says that many of DOGE’s listed contracts contain “unfunded requirements,” meaning they were agreements with a maximum budget cap but little or no money actually spent.
“DOGE appears to be counting these contracts as if every dollar was spent, then claiming the full amount as ‘savings’ when they’re canceled,” LeJeune explained. “That’s not how it works.”
The largest single item in the latest update is a $1.9 billion cancellation for IRS IT services, but details remain unclear.
Real Impact: Job Losses and Workforce Reduction
Beyond the questionable math, the consequences of these contract cancellations are severe. A 2020 Brookings Institution study noted that government contractors outnumber federal employees, estimating 2.2 federal workers for every 5 contractors.
“Now, as DOGE zeroes out these contracts, tens of thousands of government employees and contractors have likely lost their jobs,” the report warned.
With growing concerns over transparency, accountability, and the true impact of these cost-cutting measures, pressure is mounting on the Trump administration to provide clear, verifiable documentation. Until then, DOGE’s cost-cutting claims remain questionable at best.
