Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has come under intense scrutiny after publishing sensitive information about a key U.S. intelligence agency on its newly launched government website.
The DOGE website, updated earlier this week, included details about the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)—the agency responsible for designing and maintaining U.S. intelligence satellites. The information, which outlined the NRO’s workforce size and budget, was discovered by media.
Intelligence Community Raises Alarm
Following the report’s publication, a Trump administration official responded, downplaying the concerns and blaming the Biden administration for the data’s availability.
“DOGE is sharing OPM data from under the Biden administration. The headcount for this agency has been publicly available on OPM’s website,” the official told media.
“This is the same intelligence community that claimed Hunter Biden’s laptop was Russian disinformation. Their lack of credibility is not up for debate.”
Despite these claims, multiple intelligence community sources told media that the release of such information could pose serious security risks.
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Potential Breach of National Security
John Cohen, a former acting undersecretary for intelligence and analysis at the Department of Homeland Security, warned of the dangers associated with revealing personnel data.
“Anytime details about U.S. citizens working for an intelligence agency are released, it puts their safety in jeopardy,” Cohen said.
A former CIA official, who has served on classification review boards, called the exposure a “significant breach”, particularly if it involved budget and personnel details for the NRO.
“It could be even more significant if it involves declassifying sensitive information under executive authority,” the former CIA official added.
Security Analysts Weigh In
Mick Mulroy, an analyst and former CIA officer, stressed that while it’s unclear whether classified data was leaked, even unclassified personnel and budget information should not be made public.
“Our adversaries want to collect as much information as they can to determine what we are doing, how we are doing it, the extent of our investment in intelligence collection, and—most critically—the identity of those involved,” Mulroy said.
“This data could be used to target intelligence officials for espionage purposes.”
White House and DOGE Remain Silent
The White House has not issued an official response, and DOGE has not clarified why this information was published.
HuffPost was the first to report on the DOGE website’s revelations.
Interestingly, despite the controversy, the DOGE.GOV page includes a disclaimer stating:
“Workforce data excludes Military, Postal Service, White House, intelligence agencies, and others.”
Given the inclusion of the NRO’s workforce and budget details, this statement appears contradictory—further fueling concerns about the agency’s handling of sensitive government information.
Implications and Next Steps
With growing scrutiny over Elon Musk’s role in U.S. government operations, the release of intelligence-related information raises critical questions:
- Was this an oversight, or an intentional disclosure?
- What safeguards exist to prevent further leaks?
- Will this prompt a review of DOGE’s operations and security protocols?
As intelligence and security experts sound the alarm, the Biden administration and congressional leaders may face increasing pressure to investigate the risks posed by DOGE’s access to government data.
