The U.S. Government Accountability Office has found that some of the savings reported by the Department of Government Efficiency were incorrect or could not be independently verified. Its review examined $110 billion in contract, grant and lease savings listed on DOGE’s online “Wall of Receipts” through July 7, 2026.
The congressional watchdog said DOGE did not provide enough information about how many of its figures were calculated. In one category, the GAO could not verify the methodology behind 96% of the savings DOGE attributed to cancelled grants.
GAO Questions How Savings Were Calculated
DOGE launched the Wall of Receipts in February 2025 as a public record of spending reductions attributed to its work. It listed savings from cancelled contracts, grants and federal property leases.
The GAO found that DOGE frequently did not follow the methodology it said it used for terminated contracts. The website also did not explain how savings from lease cancellations were calculated.
DOGE’s own website currently claims an estimated $215 billion in total savings from a wider collection of measures, including workforce reductions, regulatory changes, asset sales and improper payment reductions. It says the public contract, grant and lease receipts represent only part of that total.
Some Claimed Savings Predated DOGE
The GAO found that 108 of the 264 leases DOGE identified for termination were already being phased out before DOGE was established in January 2025. Those leases accounted for about $15.3 million of the $53.5 million in lease savings covered by the watchdog’s review.
Auditors also examined a Department of Defense IT services contract that DOGE listed as generating $1.7 billion in savings. Although the contract had initially been identified for termination, the GAO found that it was never cancelled, reduced in scope or reduced in value, meaning those savings were not achieved.
The GAO said DOGE officials did not respond to its requests for information or interviews. That prevented auditors from determining why known limitations had not been disclosed on the website.
Watchdog Calls for More Transparency
The GAO report, published on August 6, recommends that the Executive Office of the President ensure that known data-quality problems and limitations are prominently displayed on the Wall of Receipts. The recommendation remains open.
The review covered DOGE savings data between January 20, 2025 and July 7, 2026. It was requested by Democratic senators Gary Peters and Richard Blumenthal.
The temporary DOGE organisation created under President Donald Trump’s January 2025 executive order formally ended on July 4, 2026. The order specified, however, that ending the temporary organisation would not terminate other authorities created under the broader U.S. DOGE Service structure.
Elon Musk had previously promoted much larger potential savings from DOGE, including an early target of as much as $2 trillion annually. He stepped away from his formal government role in 2025.
The Wall of Receipts remains online, and its latest headline figure stands at $215 billion. The GAO did not evaluate that entire amount, focusing instead on reported savings connected to contracts, grants and leases.
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