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Appearances
Consider This from NPR
Former DOGE employee: work could 'cross extreme ethical and legal lines'
I had been in the private sector for quite a while, actually, for all my career previously, and I really wanted to dedicate myself to using my skills to help people and help the American people.
Consider This from NPR
Former DOGE employee: work could 'cross extreme ethical and legal lines'
I worked on everything from how to implement AI in the government after the previous administration's executive orders. I worked on projects to help improve the benefit delivery system and improve the timeliness of benefit systems across the United States.
Consider This from NPR
Former DOGE employee: work could 'cross extreme ethical and legal lines'
On January 21st, we were all required to attend 15-minute interviews with people who only identified themselves as Doge and their first names. At that point, it was unclear if these were government employees or not. And after those interviews... We got the response of no comment on whether our projects should change.
Consider This from NPR
Former DOGE employee: work could 'cross extreme ethical and legal lines'
And so it was a time of extreme uncertainty, but we tried to stay focused on the projects. And I know for me, try and just continue the work for as long as I could.
Consider This from NPR
Former DOGE employee: work could 'cross extreme ethical and legal lines'
No, it was completely uncertain. And U.S. Digital Service, or the organization formerly known as such, tried many different avenues to get any clarity on who our bosses were, who we were reporting to, who we could even ask for a simple HR question. It left us very isolated and
Consider This from NPR
Former DOGE employee: work could 'cross extreme ethical and legal lines'
Yeah, there are quite a few. One of the big ones, and there has been information that has come out that is incorrect, is in regards to the Social Security Administration. The access to that data is that data contains all the information on any person who has ever been eligible for Social Security.
Consider This from NPR
Former DOGE employee: work could 'cross extreme ethical and legal lines'
It doesn't mean that it's somebody who is actively receiving Social Security, and perhaps it could be somebody who passed away quite a long time ago. That data, not only is it being utilized incorrectly, but The access to it and the feeding it into other systems makes all of that data and all of the American people's data very insecure.
Consider This from NPR
Former DOGE employee: work could 'cross extreme ethical and legal lines'
I would say that is a gross mischaracterization of the United States digital service as a whole. While we were founded during the Obama administration era, United States Digital Service still operated during the first Trump administration and was able to do good work during that time.
Consider This from NPR
Former DOGE employee: work could 'cross extreme ethical and legal lines'
We cover the gambit as far as our political leanings and part of being an EOP employee and the oath that we swear to the Constitution when we start is to operate in a nonpartisan, nonpolitical way. We are here to serve the American people. It is not a political issue.
Consider This from NPR
Former DOGE employee: work could 'cross extreme ethical and legal lines'
The first real tipping point came when many of my colleagues were fired for seemingly no reason, when they had been performing exceptionally at their jobs and were dedicated to serving this country and to help improve this country's governmental systems.
Consider This from NPR
Former DOGE employee: work could 'cross extreme ethical and legal lines'
The second tipping point came when it became clear that the former United States Digital Service would be asked to become more involved with Doge's activities. And
Consider This from NPR
Former DOGE employee: work could 'cross extreme ethical and legal lines'
those activities are the antithesis of what United States Digital Service was founded upon and what the mission has been to do the most good for the most amount of people, to go where the work is, and to hire and empower great people, which means supporting our agency partners and uplifting the federal servants. I realized that my actions would, if I stayed,
Consider This from NPR
Former DOGE employee: work could 'cross extreme ethical and legal lines'
would just further legitimize Doge and potentially cross extreme ethical and legal lines.
Consider This from NPR
Former DOGE employee: work could 'cross extreme ethical and legal lines'
Some of the activities that Doge has currently been focused on are gaining access to government systems that house the American people's data. And with that, it is unclear whether they are upholding privacy and security standards that are regularly practiced throughout the government before the new administration came in.
Consider This from NPR
Former DOGE employee: work could 'cross extreme ethical and legal lines'
There is a high risk of the American people's data being exposed or being utilized for nefarious means. And it also creates the opportunity for potential foreign actors to come in and get access to that data as well. That is completely across the line, both legally and ethically, and something I realized I could no longer do good from the inside and that I must leave.
Consider This from NPR
Former DOGE employee: work could 'cross extreme ethical and legal lines'
Thank you.