WASHINGTON — More than 20 civil service employees resigned Tuesday from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), citing ethical concerns over their involvement in dismantling critical public services.
In a joint resignation letter obtained by The Associated Press, the 21 engineers, data scientists, and product managers stated they could no longer uphold their commitment to serving the American people under President Donald Trump’s administration. They also warned that many of Musk’s appointees lacked the necessary expertise and were driven by ideology rather than competence.
The resignation comes as part of a broader upheaval within DOGE, which was created to shrink the federal government but has faced lawsuits and backlash over mass layoffs. Earlier this month, the office dismissed 40 staffers, significantly weakening the government’s ability to manage and secure essential digital infrastructure.
“These highly skilled civil servants were modernizing Social Security, veterans’ services, tax filing, health care, and other critical systems,” the letter read. “Their removal endangers millions of Americans who rely on these services every day.”
Despite the controversy, the White House remained undeterred. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the resignations, stating, “President Trump will not be deterred from making the federal government more efficient and accountable.”
Musk, who has embraced his role aggressively, has framed the effort as a necessary purge of bureaucracy. At last week’s Conservative Political Action Conference, he brandished a blinged-out chainsaw gifted by Argentine President Javier Milei, declaring, “This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy.”
However, former government tech officials warn that Musk’s private-sector mentality is ill-suited for public service. “Move fast and break things” doesn’t work when government systems belong to the people,” said Cordell Schachter, former Chief Information Officer at the U.S. Department of Transportation.
