An internal U.S. government watchdog has found that some savings estimates made by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a body established to reduce government spending, were "incorrect or lack supporting evidence." A report released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on Thursday reviewed DOGE's claims of saving $110 billion across contracts, grants, and leases.

The GAO report stated that "several issues limit the transparency and reliability of these reported savings." The White House, in response, indicated that all employees were required to complete ethics training and adhere to financial disclosure requirements.

DOGE, which was not an official government department, began operations at the start of President Trump's second term and concluded last month. The organization publicized its purported savings through an online initiative called the "Wall of Receipts."

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, who initially led DOGE but departed in May 2025, had previously pledged to save as much as $2 trillion annually through measures such as reducing federal jobs and eliminating government programs. Even DOGE's own estimates fell short of this initial goal, with its website claiming an accumulated saving of approximately $214 billion.

The GAO audit, conducted at the request of Democratic Senators Gary Peters and Richard Blumenthal, covered savings data reported between January 20, 2025, and July 7, 2026. It highlighted that DOGE had not been transparent about its calculation methods, noting that "it did not provide sufficient information to verify the method used to calculate 96% of Doge-reported savings."

Specific findings from the GAO included that 108 of the 264 leases identified by DOGE for termination were already in the process of ending before the body was established. These leases accounted for roughly $15.3 million of the $53.5 million in claimed savings. The GAO also noted that the "Wall of Receipts does not include an explanation of how the savings from terminated leases were calculated."

Additionally, the report identified claims of savings that were not achieved, such as $1.7 billion for the termination of a Department of Defense IT services contract. However, the congressional watchdog found that the contract was never terminated, meaning no savings were realized.

Senator Peters stated on Thursday that "Everyone supports rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government, but Doge was a slapdash and deceptive effort that misled the American people while doing real damage to the government's ability to serve them."

During its operation, DOGE advocated for significant reductions in the federal workforce and the discontinuation of programs and agencies like the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Some of DOGE's initiatives faced legal challenges or were reversed; for instance, after cost-cutting measures led to the dismissal of bird flu officials at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Trump administration moved to re-hire them days later.

In an announcement of its closure last month, DOGE stated, "While the formal mission of Doge has come to an end, the mission to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse will continue. Good stewardship of taxpayer dollars and accountable government are not temporary initiatives."