DOGE attempted to assign team to US nonprofit group Vera Institute of Justice

Source: Reuters

April 16, 2025 12:53 AM EDT Updated 10 hours ago


WASHINGTON, April 15 (Reuters) - Billionaire Elon Musk's U.S. Department of Government Efficiency attempted to place a team with independent nonprofit Vera Institute of Justice, the nonprofit said, marking a further expansion of the cost-cutting agency's move to exercise control over non-governmental groups.

KEY QUOTES

"DOGE staffers Nick Cavanaugh and Justin Aimonetti informed us of its plan to assign a DOGE team to the Vera Institute of Justice (Vera) as part of its larger plan to assign DOGE teams to 'every institute or agency that has congressional monies appropriated to it,'" the independent nonprofit, which advocates for lower incarceration rates, said in a statement.

When informed that the Department of Justice recently terminated grants to Vera Institute, the DOGE staffers withdrew their request to install a team, the nonprofit said. DOGE had no immediate public comment. A DOGE spokesperson cited by the Washington Post said its step was in keeping with Trump's executive order that established DOGE.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Since taking office on January 20, Trump and Musk have been on a cost-cutting drive in the federal government that has caused slashing of programs, dismantling of agencies and the firings of over 200,000 federal workers. It was not immediately clear how many other independent groups such as Vera Institute has DOGE contacted but such a step would mark an increase in its influence beyond the government to private entities that received federal money.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/doge-attempted-assign-team-us-nonprofit-group-vera-institute-justice-2025-04-16/