DOGE’s Secret Government X Account: What You Need to Know
▼ Summary
– Two DOGE members entered the SBA, and shortly after, a new X account (@DOGE_SBA) was created, seemingly by DOGE itself without involving the agency’s usual communications staff.
– The account solicited public tips on waste and fraud via direct messages, potentially accepting a whistleblower complaint, which is highly unusual and bypasses standard government protocols.
– An SBA social media manager was unaware of the account’s existence, indicating a lack of coordination and transparency within the agency.
– Documents show that DOGE operative Donald Park set up the account, receiving a confirmation email from X for adding a phone number, which was redacted in the FOIA records.
– A former government public affairs official stated that running such an account without public affairs staff knowledge is highly unusual and that DOGE has operated as an unaccountable body within agencies.
A mysterious X account linked to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has surfaced, raising questions about transparency and protocol within federal agencies. The account, @DOGE_SBA, appears to have been established by DOGE personnel embedded within the Small Business Administration, operating outside the oversight of the agency’s official communications staff. This development underscores ongoing concerns about the unaccountable and unconventional methods employed by DOGE teams across the government.
The SBA maintains its own longstanding X profile, active since 2010, which shares agency updates and content from Administrator Kelly Loeffler. However, internal emails obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request reveal that personnel responsible for the SBA’s social media were unaware of the @DOGE_SBA account’s existence until March 6. One social media manager expressed surprise in an internal email, asking colleagues how he had missed the account’s appearance.
Evidence suggests that Donald Park, a DOGE member assigned to the SBA, created the account on February 16. An email confirmation from X shows a phone number, since redacted, was added to the account that day. Under current platform policies instituted after Elon Musk’s acquisition, only premium subscribers can use SMS-based two-factor authentication.
On the same day it was created, the @DOGESBA account pinned a repost from the main DOGE X profile, soliciting tips from the public about government waste, fraud, and abuse. The post encouraged direct messages to “relevant DOGE affiliates,” referring to a list of 32 accounts linked to various agencies including Homeland Security, Social Security, and Housing and Urban Development. The @DOGESBA account itself posted only once, echoing this call for insider information and promising to use it to benefit taxpayers and small businesses.
This activity represents a significant departure from standard government practice. Public affairs units traditionally manage all external communications, including social media. A former U.S. government public affairs official, who requested anonymity, noted that it is highly unusual, and potentially problematic, for an employee to operate a public-facing account without the knowledge of communications staff. The source described social media as “highly contested territory” within agencies and criticized DOGE for repeatedly overstepping its authority.
Neither Park, his DOGE colleague Edward Coristine, nor the SBA’s communications team responded to requests for comment. The incident adds to a growing pattern of DOGE teams functioning with little oversight, operating as semi-autonomous units within the very agencies they are tasked with evaluating.
(Source: Wired)
