A White House official has clarified that Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is not in charge of the newly minted Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
According to Politico, in court documents, director of the White House’s Office of Administration Joshua Fisher said Musk has no more power to make decisions than any other senior White House advisors, which according to Fisher, is Musk’s official role.
“Mr. Musk is an employee of the White House Office, he holds that position as a non-career Special Government Employee (SGE),” Fisher said in a sworn declaration, dated Feb. 17.
Fisher notes that Musk is a Senior Advisor to President Donald Trump, and said it’s not uncommon for presidents to have SGE’s working for them as advisors.
“In that job, Mr. Musk is a Senior Advisor to the President. It is not uncommon for the President to have Senior Advisors who are SGEs. For instance, Anita Dunn was an influential Senior Advisor to President Biden, while serving as an SGE,” he said.
Fisher states that Musk has no formal authority and works exclusively for Trump.
“In his role as a Senior Advisor to the President, Mr. Musk has no greater authority than other White House advisors. Like other advisors, Mr. Musk has no actual or formal authority to make government decisions himself. Mr. Musk can only advise the President, and communicate the President’s directives,” Fisher said.
Fisher then reiterated Musk is not part of DOGE, which is separate from the White House.
“The U.S. DOGE Service is a component of the Executive Office of the President. The U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization is within the U.S. DOGE Service. Both are separate from the White House Office. Mr. Musk is an employee in the White House Office. He is not an employee of the U.S. DOGE Service or the U.S. DOGE Temporary Organization. Mr. Musk is not the U.S. DOGE Service Administrator,” Fisher concluded.
