Bloomberg: Musk’s DOGE team clashes with USAID over access to classified files

On Saturday, February 1, when most employees of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) had left their headquarters in the Ronald Reagan Building, a group of aides from Ilon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) arrived, demanding access to the agency’s offices.

The team, known as the “DOGE kids,” consisted of four young technology experts working under Musk’s direction.

According to sources, cited by Bloomberg, they toured several floors, moving from office to office, and searching through desks, per Caliber.Az.

They also attempted to enter a secured area, where classified and confidential documents are stored. However, USAID security officers denied them access, leading to a scuffle. One of the DOGE employees then called Musk, who reportedly threatened USAID representatives with involving the US Marshals Service, a division of the Justice Department, if his team wasn’t allowed access to the sensitive materials. Eventually, the DOGE team gained access, though it remains unclear whether they obtained everything they sought.

The area the DOGE team was trying to access is a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF), a highly secure room used to store classified or sensitive documents.

The Washington Post notes that SCIFs are located in many federal agencies, military facilities, and embassies throughout Washington, DC, and are designed to prevent wiretapping, with strict access control measures. In the Reagan Building, the SCIF on the second-floor houses not only confidential documents but also personnel information, which, while not classified, still requires a high-level security clearance for entry. It is unclear whether Musk’s team possessed the necessary clearance.

USAID, created in 1961 under President John F. Kennedy, is tasked with administering foreign aid and grants for development projects worldwide, including significant investments in Ukraine. During his inauguration, President Donald Trump signed over 40 executive orders, one of which temporarily froze USAID’s international aid programs for a 90-day review. Secretary of State Mark Rubio also issued a directive halting foreign aid from both the State Department and USAID until further review.

Musk has previously criticized USAID, calling it a “criminal organization” that “needs to die,” while Trump has labelled it as being run by “radical lunatics.” On February 3, USAID’s headquarters was closed, and Trump appointed Rubio as the agency’s acting administrator.

By Tamilla Hasanova