Public misconceptions are being cleared up in recent court filings regarding the United States DOGE Service (USDS).
According to Fox News, the actual management and organizational structure of USDS has come to light, debunking assumptions about Elon Musk's role within the agency.
While Elon Musk has often been perceived as a key figure in USDS, he does not hold an employment position at the agency.
Instead, Musk serves in a capacity as a senior advisor to the White House, focusing on strategic issues but lacking direct authority in USDS operations.
Under the administration of President Donald Trump, a significant rebranding took place with the transformation of the United States Digital Service into the United States DOGE Service in January 2025. This reorganization aimed to enhance efficiency and reduce government overspending.
Amy Gleason, identified as the acting administrator, plays a pivotal role in the structure of USDS. Directly reporting to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Gleason coordinates the overarching strategies for the service.
The Trump administration's executive order tasks each government agency with creating its own DOGE team. Yet, these teams operate autonomously within their respective agencies, reporting to their agency heads rather than the USDS leadership.
Amy Gleason explained the independence of these teams with USDS.
Amy Gleason stated, "Every member of an agency’s DOGE Team is an employee of the agency or a detailee to the agency. The DOGE Team members – whether employees of the agency or detailed to the agency – thus report to the agency heads or their designees, not to me or anyone else at USDS. In some instances, members of agency DOGE Teams are detailees from USDS to the agency. Where USDS detailees are assigned to an agency DOGE Team and acting in their capacity as a detailee to the DOGE Team, they are supervised by personnel of the agency to which they are detailed."
USDS has reportedly been successful in implementing measures that saved the government approximately $115 billion. These savings stem from various efficiency and restructuring efforts initiated since its inception.
Despite these achievements, the public has expressed mixed sentiment, with numerous protesters opposing the operational changes and the influence they believe Elon Musk holds, though many mistakenly view him as a leading figure at USDS.
Amidst this confusion about roles and influence, Amy Gleason’s clarifications provide a clearer picture of the reality within USDS. "Elon Musk does not work at USDS. I do not report to him, and he does not report to me. To my knowledge, he is a Senior Advisor to the White House," she confirmed.
The United States DOGE Service, under the lead of Amy Gleason, continues to function with a structure that differentiates it from traditional perceptions of government agencies. Specifically, with decentralized teams and strategic advisory roles, USDS is navigating its mission to reduce federal overspending while facing public scrutiny and misinformation about its leadership.
Moreover, the clarity provided by recent disclosures helps demarcate the boundaries of influence and operational control within one of the government's key services.
