Commerce Department
subagencies: Census, NIST, NOAA
DOGE made an early foray into the agency with a visit to the headquarters of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), but their presence at Commerce has seemed relatively muted in comparison to other agencies. However, DOGE has had a staunch ally in Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and reseachers are getting increasingly alarmed about DOGE interfering with the operations of the Census.
The Commerce Department contains the following important subagencies that have been affected by DOGE: - The Census Department conducts the national census every 10 years (important for redistricting) as well as other important surveys of the American public. - National Institute of Standards and Technologies (NIST) sets standards for technical products in industry (and references for units of measure). It also defines the cybersecurity requirements for software used in the federal government. - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is most prominently known for its role in weather forecasting and climate modeling. It also charts the oceans and manages fisheries around the US.
People
Information: Click items to expand
Detailed From:
2/04/25 likely detailed
Offboarding:
Left govt 7/02/25 (guessed)
Detailed From:
2/04/25 likely detailed
Offboarding:
Left govt 7/02/25 (guessed)
| Source: | Scoop: Trump nominates Neil Jacobs to head NOAA Axios, 2/04/25 |
Detailed From:
date unknown likely detailed «Linked to agency by ProPublica»
Offboarding:
Left govt 9/13/25 (verified)
Detailed From:
date unknown likely detailed «Linked to agency by ProPublica»
Offboarding:
Left govt 9/13/25 (verified)
| Source: | Elon Musk’s Demolition Crew Pro Publica Projects, |
Appointed:
2/27/25-5/XX/25 Senior Advisor $167,603
Promotion:
3/XX/25-2/XX/26 promoted to Executive Director, US Investment Accelerator
Offboarding:
Left govt 2/XX/26 (self-reported)
Appointed:
2/27/25-5/XX/25 Senior Advisor $167,603
Promotion:
3/XX/25-2/XX/26 promoted to Executive Director, US Investment Accelerator
Offboarding:
Left govt 2/XX/26 (self-reported)
| Source: | Data Reveals Details About DOGE, Government Hiring in 2025 Bloomberg, 1/09/26 |
| Source: | Michael Grimes OGE-278 disclosure Document Cloud, 6/10/25 |
| Source: | LinkedIn profile for Michael Grimes LinkedIn, |
| Source: | LinkedIn profile for Michael Grimes LinkedIn, |
Appointed:
c.3/31/25 Senior Advisor $167,603
Appointed:
c.3/31/25 Senior Advisor $167,603
| Source: | Data Reveals Details About DOGE, Government Hiring in 2025 Bloomberg, 1/09/26 |
Detailed From:
c.4/09/25 detailed from GSA «Senate Democrats note that Cavanaugh has a commerce email address. Guessing date is around detail to MBDA.»
Offboarding:
Left govt 8/06/25 (reported)
Detailed From:
c.4/09/25 detailed from GSA «Senate Democrats note that Cavanaugh has a commerce email address. Guessing date is around detail to MBDA.»
Offboarding:
Left govt 8/06/25 (reported)
| Source: | Letter from the Senate Commerce Committee to Keith Sonderling about MBDA The Senate Commerce Committee, 4/30/25 |
Detailed From:
date unknown likely detailed from GSA «Linked by ProPublica»
Detailed From:
date unknown likely detailed from GSA «Linked by ProPublica»
| Source: | Elon Musk’s Demolition Crew Pro Publica Projects, |
Systems
Google Drive
2/05/25 1 users with elevated access
Google Drive
2/05/25 1 users with elevated access
| : | 2/05/25- Nikhil Rajpal (read-write access) |
| Source: | This DOGE Engineer Has Access to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Wired Magazine, 2/05/25 |
Events
2/04/25
Detailed To:
Detailed To:
| OPM? Detailed To: NOAA Nikhil Rajpal 2/04/25 | |
| Source: | Scoop: Trump nominates Neil Jacobs to head NOAA Axios, 2/04/25 |
Sighting:
DOGE staffer Nikhil Rajpal reportedly enters NOAA facilities in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Sighting:
DOGE staffer Nikhil Rajpal reportedly enters NOAA facilities in Silver Spring, Maryland.
| Person: | Nikhil Rajpal |
| Source: | Scoop: Trump nominates Neil Jacobs to head NOAA Axios, 2/04/25 |
| Agency: | NOAA |
2/05/25
:
:
| System Access: | Google: Google Drive |
| : | read-write, 2/05/25 Nikhil Rajpal |
Sighting:
DOGE staff are seen entering the headquarters of the Department of Commerce.
Sighting:
DOGE staff are seen entering the headquarters of the Department of Commerce.
| Source: | DOGE enters NOAA, accesses IT systems and removes the top HR official GovExec, 2/05/25 |
| Agency: | Commerce |
2/06/25
| Person: | Aram Moghaddassi, Brian Bjelde, Emily Bryant, Jim Hickey, Katrine Trampe, Michael Cole, Michael Grimes, Michael Mirski, Riley Sennott, Scott Coulter, Scott Langmack, Stephen Ehikian, Tarak Makecha, Tom Krause |
| Source: | FOIA response by GSA for visitor logs in 2025 Document Cloud, 4/10/26 |
| Agency: | Commerce, DOGE, DOI, DOL, GSA, HUD, NASA, OPM, Treas., USDA |
2/14/25
| Source: | The National Institute of Standards and Technology Braces for Mass Firings Wired Magazine, 2/20/25 |
| Agency: | NIST |
2/27/25
Appointed:
Michael Grimes starts as Senior Advisor at Commerce.
Appointed:
Michael Grimes starts as Senior Advisor at Commerce.
| Appointed: | Michael Grimes 2/27/25-5/XX/25 |
| Position Title: | Senior Advisor |
| Salary: | $167,603 |
| Source: | Data Reveals Details About DOGE, Government Hiring in 2025 Bloomberg, 1/09/26 |
| Source: | Michael Grimes OGE-278 disclosure Document Cloud, 6/10/25 |
| Source: | LinkedIn profile for Michael Grimes LinkedIn, |
3/28/25
Sighting:
Michael Grimes conducts DOGE-style interviews with each member of the staff in the Chips Program Office. This group administers grants following the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (signed by Biden) to encourage semiconductor manufacturing in the US.
Sighting:
Michael Grimes conducts DOGE-style interviews with each member of the staff in the Chips Program Office. This group administers grants following the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (signed by Biden) to encourage semiconductor manufacturing in the US.
| Person: | Michael Grimes |
| Source: | Former Wall Street rainmaker leads purge of US chips subsidies agency The Financial Times, 3/06/25 |
| Agency: | Commerce |
| DOGE Project: | Anti-Personnel |
c.3/31/25
Appointed:
Bryton Shang starts as Senior Advisor at NOAA.
Appointed:
Bryton Shang starts as Senior Advisor at NOAA.
| Appointed: | Bryton Shang c.3/31/25 |
| Position Title: | Senior Advisor, Office of the Administrator |
| Salary: | $167,603 |
| Source: | Data Reveals Details About DOGE, Government Hiring in 2025 Bloomberg, 1/09/26 |
3/XX/25
Promotion:
Michael Grimes promoted to Executive Director, US Investment Accelerator at Commerce
Promotion:
Michael Grimes promoted to Executive Director, US Investment Accelerator at Commerce
| Promotion: | Michael Grimes 3/XX/25-2/XX/26 |
| Position Title: | Executive Director, US Investment Accelerator |
| Source: | LinkedIn profile for Michael Grimes LinkedIn, |
4/02/25
Oversight:
A group of 22 house members send a letter to Commerce Secretary Lutnick expressing concern about the firing of 70 staffers at NIST.
Oversight:
A group of 22 house members send a letter to Commerce Secretary Lutnick expressing concern about the firing of 70 staffers at NIST.
| Source: | Letter to Commerce Sec. Lutnick US Rep. April McClain-Delaney, 4/02/25 |
| Agency: | NIST |
c.4/09/25
Detailed To:
Detailed To:
| GSA Detailed To: Commerce Nate Cavanaugh c.4/09/25 | |
| Source: | Letter from the Senate Commerce Committee to Keith Sonderling about MBDA The Senate Commerce Committee, 4/30/25 |
| Note: | Senate Democrats note that Cavanaugh has a commerce email address. Guessing date is around detail to MBDA. |
4/11/25
Disruption:
Luke Farritor uses his admin access to lock out all government officials at multiple agencies from using grants.gov to issue new grants. Instead, all grants must now be sent to a new email address which will be reviewed by DOGE staffers before grants can be posted.
Disruption:
Luke Farritor uses his admin access to lock out all government officials at multiple agencies from using grants.gov to issue new grants. Instead, all grants must now be sent to a new email address which will be reviewed by DOGE staffers before grants can be posted.
5/16/25
Disruption:
Because of DOGE-directed cuts, a National Weather Service office in Jackson, KY did not have an overnight forecaster who is able to track and forecast tornado watches for a storm sweeping across the state.
Disruption:
Because of DOGE-directed cuts, a National Weather Service office in Jackson, KY did not have an overnight forecaster who is able to track and forecast tornado watches for a storm sweeping across the state.
| Source: | After Cuts, a Kentucky Weather Office Scrambles for Staffing as Severe Storms Bear Down The New York Times, 5/16/25 |
| Agency: | NOAA |
| DOGE Project: | Anti-Personnel |
5/20/25
Disruption:
In a post on its X account, DOGE reports that it is working to review surveys conducted by the Census Bureau and claims to have already eliminated 5 surveys that include questions about alcohol consumption and internet usage.
Disruption:
In a post on its X account, DOGE reports that it is working to review surveys conducted by the Census Bureau and claims to have already eliminated 5 surveys that include questions about alcohol consumption and internet usage.
| Source: | Bluesky post by Hansi Lo Wang Bluesky, 5/20/25 |
| Agency: | Census, DOGE |
| DOGE Project: | Elimination |
5/XX/25
Disruption:
An internal survey reveals that over a fifth of Census Bureau leadership roles are vacant in the wake of DOGE’s efforts to reduce federal staffing.
Disruption:
An internal survey reveals that over a fifth of Census Bureau leadership roles are vacant in the wake of DOGE’s efforts to reduce federal staffing.
| Source: | DOGE created a 'survey of surveys' for a push to cut some government data collection National Public Radio, 5/23/25 |
| Agency: | Census |
| DOGE Project: | Anti-Personnel |
6/04/25
Disruption:
Field representatives for the Census surveys share that the public is growing increasingly distrustful of participating in government surveys due to concerns that their data might be used against them by DOGE. This is especially true for minority and vulnerable populations, increasing the real risk of skewed statistics.
Disruption:
Field representatives for the Census surveys share that the public is growing increasingly distrustful of participating in government surveys due to concerns that their data might be used against them by DOGE. This is especially true for minority and vulnerable populations, increasing the real risk of skewed statistics.
| Source: | How DOGE's push to amass data could hurt the reliability of future U.S. statistics National Public Radio, 6/04/25 |
| Agency: | Census |
6/13/25
Website:
DOGE staffers working with the Department of Commerce launch an informational site for the new proposed “Trump Card” gold visa, which would let people skip the lines for immigration visas by paying $5 million in fees. It is a single-page site with bold text and an email sign-up form for people who might be interested.
Website:
DOGE staffers working with the Department of Commerce launch an informational site for the new proposed “Trump Card” gold visa, which would let people skip the lines for immigration visas by paying $5 million in fees. It is a single-page site with bold text and an email sign-up form for people who might be interested.
| Source: | trumpcard.gov National Design Studio site, |
| Agency: | Commerce, DOGE, State |
| DOGE Project: | IT Modernization |
6/26/25
Official Action:
In an email to agency partners, the operators of grants.gov declare that the revised mechanism added in April that routed all Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) through a DOGE email address has been reversed. Instead, agencies are to return to using the tool like that did previously. This doesn’t necessarily mean that DOGE or political appointees will not be reviewing grants, but they have no longer locked other users out of the system.
Official Action:
In an email to agency partners, the operators of grants.gov declare that the revised mechanism added in April that routed all Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) through a DOGE email address has been reversed. Instead, agencies are to return to using the tool like that did previously. This doesn’t necessarily mean that DOGE or political appointees will not be reviewing grants, but they have no longer locked other users out of the system.
Disruption:
The Department of Defense announced that it would immediately stop ingesting and sharing data from 3 microwave-imaging satellites with NOAA’s National Hurricane Center. This imaging is used to prevent “sunrise surprises” by allowing forecasters to monitor hurricanes at night. The change is expected to degrade the quality of hurricane forecasts.
Disruption:
The Department of Defense announced that it would immediately stop ingesting and sharing data from 3 microwave-imaging satellites with NOAA’s National Hurricane Center. This imaging is used to prevent “sunrise surprises” by allowing forecasters to monitor hurricanes at night. The change is expected to degrade the quality of hurricane forecasts.
| Source: | Critical Hurricane Forecast Tool Abruptly Terminated Eye on the Tropics, 6/26/25 |
| Agency: | DOD, NOAA |
| DOGE Project: | Elimination |
8/05/25
Disruption:
The National Weather Center announces it has approval to hire 450 meteorologists, hydrologists and radar technicians back to the department. This includes 126 new positions beyond what was cut by DOGE. Despite being a step towards restoration, this action will likely not put people in place until after the current dangerous hurricane season is over and it might be a pretext to hire more politically-aligned staff in positions with flimsier job security.
Disruption:
The National Weather Center announces it has approval to hire 450 meteorologists, hydrologists and radar technicians back to the department. This includes 126 new positions beyond what was cut by DOGE. Despite being a step towards restoration, this action will likely not put people in place until after the current dangerous hurricane season is over and it might be a pretext to hire more politically-aligned staff in positions with flimsier job security.
| Source: | Weather Service is now hiring back hundreds of positions that got cut in the DOGE chaos CNN, 8/05/25 |
| Agency: | NOAA |
| DOGE Project: | Anti-Personnel |
9/20/25
Website:
The Trump administration revamps the “Gold Card Visa” site that was originally launched in June. The visa now will cost $1 million and be an expedited EB-1 or EB-2 visa; the original proposal has been rebranded as the platinum card, which will be “coming soon.” The legality of this program still remains wildly unclear and demand is inflated because sign-up is through a public web form. This website is the first public work of recently-formed National Design Studio, although the previous version of the site was built by DOGE too.
Website:
The Trump administration revamps the “Gold Card Visa” site that was originally launched in June. The visa now will cost $1 million and be an expedited EB-1 or EB-2 visa; the original proposal has been rebranded as the platinum card, which will be “coming soon.” The legality of this program still remains wildly unclear and demand is inflated because sign-up is through a public web form. This website is the first public work of recently-formed National Design Studio, although the previous version of the site was built by DOGE too.
| Source: | trumpcard.gov National Design Studio site, |
| Source: | Want To Be American? For $1 Million, The ‘Trump Gold Card’ Visa Will Now Allow Entry Forbes Magazine, 9/20/25 |
| Agency: | Commerce, NDS, USCIS |
| DOGE Project: | IT Modernization |
9/27/25
Disruption:
The head of the union that represents employees at the National Weather Service reports that the agency is at a breaking point, with many employees working double shifts or seeking help from neighboring offices. Two offices – in California’s Central Valley and western Kansas – lack enough staff to operate 24 hours a day.
Disruption:
The head of the union that represents employees at the National Weather Service reports that the agency is at a breaking point, with many employees working double shifts or seeking help from neighboring offices. Two offices – in California’s Central Valley and western Kansas – lack enough staff to operate 24 hours a day.
| Source: | National Weather Service at ‘breaking point’ as storm approaches The Boston Globe, 9/27/25 |
| Agency: | NOAA |
| DOGE Project: | Anti-Personnel |
12/10/25
Website:
Trump officially launches the trumpcard.gov
website, which has been modified to now accept more formal online
applications and a $15,000 processing fee. This change was presumably
made by the National Design Studio, who did the last revamp of the site
originally developed by DOGE. More importantly, it now has a more
detailed signup form that promises payment processing of the $15,000
processing fee as well. With this change, NDS has added a second page.
Website:
Trump officially launches the trumpcard.gov
website, which has been modified to now accept more formal online
applications and a $15,000 processing fee. This change was presumably
made by the National Design Studio, who did the last revamp of the site
originally developed by DOGE. More importantly, it now has a more
detailed signup form that promises payment processing of the $15,000
processing fee as well. With this change, NDS has added a second page.
| Source: | Trump’s ‘gold card’ program goes live, offering US visas starting at $1 million per person The Associated Press, 12/10/25 |
| Source: | trumpcard.gov National Design Studio site, |
| Agency: | Commerce, NDS, USCIS |
| DOGE Project: | IT Modernization |
2/XX/26
Offboarding:
Michael Grimes leaves role as Executive Director, US Investment Accelerator at Commerce (exits govt. service)
Offboarding:
Michael Grimes leaves role as Executive Director, US Investment Accelerator at Commerce (exits govt. service)
| Promotion: | Michael Grimes 3/XX/25-2/XX/26 |
| Position Title: | Executive Director, US Investment Accelerator |
| Source: | LinkedIn profile for Michael Grimes LinkedIn, |
4/23/26
Official Action:
Testifying at the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick reported that the US had approved only 1 “gold card” visa application so far. He also claimed there were hundreds more applicants in the queue for the program, which requires a $1 million fee and $15,000 in processing fees.
Official Action:
Testifying at the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick reported that the US had approved only 1 “gold card” visa application so far. He also claimed there were hundreds more applicants in the queue for the program, which requires a $1 million fee and $15,000 in processing fees.
| Source: | The Trump Administration Has Approved Just One ‘Gold Card’ Visa So Far NOTUS, 4/23/25 |
| Agency: | Commerce, NDS |