Marko Elez

Coder, age 25
Tech Industry Links: Twitter, SpaceX
Marko Elez first appeared as the only DOGE member who was authorized to access confidential systems at the Bureau of Fiscal Services within the Treasury Department, a development which was swiftly blocked for a while by lawsuits. During that time, he also became the only DOGE member to resign his position, when various past racist tweets of his were discovered by the Wall Street Journal. He was quickly reinstated by Elon Musk with the support of J.D. Vance, who saw nothing wrong with his speech; indeed, since then DOGE has added several other members linked to racist and extremist content online. Upon rejoning DOGE, Marko Elez was placed with Aram Moghaddassi on a team inside of the Department of Labor, and the two are frequently sent on reimburable details to other agencies like SSA or DHS.

Positions

Appointed:
1/21/25-2/06/25 Special Advisor (IT&M) NTE 5/25/25, GS-11/01, $84,601 (for 4 months) «Abruptly resigned when past racist tweets were reported. I think the pay here is to the NTE date, since his later detail to SSA from DOL is reimbursed at $71k a quarter»
Offboarding:
resigned from agency 2/06/25
Source: Onboarding documentation at Treasury for Marko Elez Document Cloud, 3/07/25
Source: Member of Elon Musk's DOGE team resigns after racist posts resurface National Public Radio, 2/06/25
Appointed:
2/10/25 «Listed as Volunteer Employee. This seems like it was a way to keep Elez with access after resigned from Treasury but before starting at DOL»
Source: The Authors Guild/American Council of Learned Societies v. National Endowment for the Humanities, doc 122-2 Court Document, 2/17/26
Appointed:
2/12/25 Policy Advisor NTE 6/11/25, GS-11/01, $84,601
Source: Onboarding documentation at DOL for Marko Elez Document Cloud, 7/15/25
Detailed To:
2/18/25 [as SSA-07] detailed from DOL reimbursed up to $71,000 «MOU signed by Mike Russo, was this followed by being hired at SSA»
Source: Detailing agreement from DOL to SSA for "Employee 7" Document Cloud, 4/09/25
Source: Onboarding documentation at SSA for "Employee 7" Document Cloud, 4/09/25
Detailed To:
3/05/25 detailed from DOL Executive Engineer «date/source in court filing»
Source: AFL-CIO v. DOL, doc 73-2 Court Document, 3/29/25
Detailed To:
date unknown likely detailed from DOL
Source: The People Carrying Out Musk’s Plans at DOGE The New York Times, 2/27/25

Events

1/21/25
Appointed:
Marko Elez starts as Special Advisor (IT&M) at Treas..
Appointed: Marko Elez 1/21/25-2/06/25
Position Title: Special Advisor (IT&M), Office of the Chief of Staff
Salary: $84,601 (for 4 months)
Source: Onboarding documentation at Treasury for Marko Elez Document Cloud, 3/07/25
Source: Member of Elon Musk's DOGE team resigns after racist posts resurface National Public Radio, 2/06/25
Note: Abruptly resigned when past racist tweets were reported. I think the pay here is to the NTE date, since his later detail to SSA from DOL is reimbursed at $71k a quarter
1/28/25
:
Marko Elez is granted basic access to 3 systems at Treas..
System Access: ASAP: Automated Standard Access For Payments
: source-code, 1/28/25-2/06/25 Marko Elez
Note: A payment system that allows recipients to draw down funds from an established bank account for that recipient.
DOGE Project: Spending
System Access: PAM DB: Payment Automation Manager DB
: source-code, 1/28/25-2/06/25 Marko Elez
Note: The U.S. government uses the Payment Automation Manager (PAM) to pay all bills, except payments in foreign currency. PAM processed over 1.2 billion payments in FY 2024, valued at over 4.7 trillion dollars.
DOGE Project: Spending
System Access: SPS: Secure Payment System
: source-code, 1/28/25-2/06/25 Marko Elez
Note: Used by federal government agencies to securely create, certify, and submit payments to the Fiscal Service.
DOGE Project: Spending, Fraud
System Access:
Marko Elez is provided with a laptop from Treasury with with copies of the source code for the PAM, SPS, and ASAP systems in a separate, secure coding environment known as a “secure code repository” or “sandbox.”
Person: Marko Elez
Source: American Federation of Teachers v. Bessent, doc 27-3 Court Document, 2/17/25
Agency: Treas.
2/02/25
Interagency Coordination:
Aram Moghaddassi, Marko Elez and Riley Sennott arrive at GSA to work with unspecified GSA staff on a Sunday. They are signed in by Thomas Shedd and Luke Farritor. Riley Sennott is still not an official employee of GSA at the time of the meeting.
2/03/25
:
Marko Elez is granted basic access to 2 systems at Treas..
System Access: CARS: Central Accounting Reporting System
: read, 2/03/25-2/06/25 Marko Elez
Note: A system which handles accounting for all federal agencies
System Access: PAM FS: Payment Automation Manager File System
: read, 2/03/25-2/06/25 Marko Elez
Note: Where payment files are transmitted from initiating agencies before they are certified and processed by Treasury
DOGE Project: Spending
:
Marko Elez is granted elevated access to PAM DB at Treas..
System Access: PAM DB: Payment Automation Manager DB
: read-write, 2/03/25-2/06/25 Marko Elez
Note: The U.S. government uses the Payment Automation Manager (PAM) to pay all bills, except payments in foreign currency. PAM processed over 1.2 billion payments in FY 2024, valued at over 4.7 trillion dollars.
DOGE Project: Spending
2/05/25
:
Marko Elez is granted elevated access to SPS at Treas..
System Access: SPS: Secure Payment System
: read-write, 2/05/25-2/06/25 Marko Elez
Note: Used by federal government agencies to securely create, certify, and submit payments to the Fiscal Service.
DOGE Project: Spending, Fraud
2/06/25
Access Revoked:
Marko Elez has basic access revoked for 5 systems at Treas..
System Access: ASAP: Automated Standard Access For Payments
: source-code, 1/28/25-2/06/25 Marko Elez
Note: A payment system that allows recipients to draw down funds from an established bank account for that recipient.
DOGE Project: Spending
System Access: PAM DB: Payment Automation Manager DB
: source-code, 1/28/25-2/06/25 Marko Elez
Note: The U.S. government uses the Payment Automation Manager (PAM) to pay all bills, except payments in foreign currency. PAM processed over 1.2 billion payments in FY 2024, valued at over 4.7 trillion dollars.
DOGE Project: Spending
System Access: SPS: Secure Payment System
: source-code, 1/28/25-2/06/25 Marko Elez
Note: Used by federal government agencies to securely create, certify, and submit payments to the Fiscal Service.
DOGE Project: Spending, Fraud
System Access: CARS: Central Accounting Reporting System
: read, 2/03/25-2/06/25 Marko Elez
Note: A system which handles accounting for all federal agencies
System Access: PAM FS: Payment Automation Manager File System
: read, 2/03/25-2/06/25 Marko Elez
Note: Where payment files are transmitted from initiating agencies before they are certified and processed by Treasury
DOGE Project: Spending
Access Revoked:
Marko Elez has elevated access revoked for 2 systems at Treas..
System Access: PAM DB: Payment Automation Manager DB
: read-write, 2/03/25-2/06/25 Marko Elez
Note: The U.S. government uses the Payment Automation Manager (PAM) to pay all bills, except payments in foreign currency. PAM processed over 1.2 billion payments in FY 2024, valued at over 4.7 trillion dollars.
DOGE Project: Spending
System Access: SPS: Secure Payment System
: read-write, 2/05/25-2/06/25 Marko Elez
Note: Used by federal government agencies to securely create, certify, and submit payments to the Fiscal Service.
DOGE Project: Spending, Fraud
Offboarding:
Marko Elez leaves role as Special Advisor (IT&M) at Treas.
Appointed: Marko Elez 1/21/25-2/06/25
Position Title: Special Advisor (IT&M), Office of the Chief of Staff
Salary: $84,601 (for 4 months)
Source: Onboarding documentation at Treasury for Marko Elez Document Cloud, 3/07/25
Source: Member of Elon Musk's DOGE team resigns after racist posts resurface National Public Radio, 2/06/25
Note: Abruptly resigned when past racist tweets were reported. I think the pay here is to the NTE date, since his later detail to SSA from DOL is reimbursed at $71k a quarter
2/08/25
Sighting:
Luke Farritor hosts a contingent of other DOGE staffers – Marko Elez, Aram Moghaddassi and Riley Sennott – to work at GSA on a Saturday. Notably, this is a day after Marko Elez had resigned his position (but was secretly hired at DOGE) and Riley Sennott had not formally started his role at GSA yet.
2/10/25
Appointed:
Marko Elez starts at DOGE.
Appointed: Marko Elez 2/10/25
Source: The Authors Guild/American Council of Learned Societies v. National Endowment for the Humanities, doc 122-2 Court Document, 2/17/26
Note: Listed as Volunteer Employee. This seems like it was a way to keep Elez with access after resigned from Treasury but before starting at DOL
2/11/25
System Access:
A legal affadavit from a Treasury employee states that Marko Elez was accidentally given edit access to Bureau of the Fiscal Service systems but that he did not use it.
Person: Marko Elez
Source: Treasury revoked editing access ‘mistakenly’ given to DOGE staffer The Washington Post, 2/11/25
Agency: Treas.
2/12/25
Appointed:
Marko Elez starts as Policy Advisor at DOL.
Appointed: Marko Elez 2/12/25
Position Title: Policy Advisor, Office of the Secretary
Salary: $84,601
Source: Onboarding documentation at DOL for Marko Elez Document Cloud, 7/15/25
2/18/25
Detailed To:
Marko Elez detailed from DOL to SSA
DOL Detailed To: SSA Marko Elez 2/18/25
Source: Detailing agreement from DOL to SSA for "Employee 7" Document Cloud, 4/09/25
Source: Onboarding documentation at SSA for "Employee 7" Document Cloud, 4/09/25
Note: MOU signed by Mike Russo, was this followed by being hired at SSA
Onboarding:
Multiple unidentified DOGE staffers start working at SSA on the same day. SSA-02 (Scott Coulter) is detailed from NASA. SSA-07 (Marko Elez) is detailed from the DOL. SSA-10 (Ethan Shaotran) arrives from the GSA, and SSA-05 (Cole Killian) is detailed from DOGE itself.
2/20/25
Identification:
Several DOGE staffers working at the agency are identified by Social Security Works (a nonprofit advocacy group).
Onboarding:
John York, a senior counselor to Bessent, wrote in a sworn statement that Ryan Wunderly would take over Marko Elez’s work at the BFS.
2/25/25
:
Marko Elez is granted basic access to 3 systems at DOL.
System Access: DRA: Directory Resource Administrator
: read, 2/25/25 Marko Elez
Note: A tool for managing access control to systems built on top of ActiveDirectory
DOGE Project: Anti-Personnel, Impunity
System Access: ePACS: Enterprise Physical Access Control System
: read, 2/25/25 Marko Elez
Note: Used to control physical access to the DOL HQ and several other buildings. Could track when employees enter and leave
DOGE Project: Anti-Personnel, Impunity
System Access: USAccess
: read, 2/25/25 Marko Elez
Note: Shared service access provider system
DOGE Project: Anti-Personnel
3/03/25
Disruption:
An unidentified member of the DOGE team at the SSA emailed a password-protected and encrypted file to DHS but also included Steve Davis at DOGE and an unidentified DOGE team member at the Department of Labor (possibly Marko Elez or Aram Moghaddassi who were detailed to SSA from DOL). SSA staff believes it contained sensitive PII of approximately 1000 individuals, but the Chief Information Office has been unable to determine more. Notably, the CIO role for SSA has been held by a rotation of several DOGE staffers since February.
3/05/25
Detailed To:
Marko Elez detailed from DOL to HHS
DOL Detailed To: HHS Marko Elez 3/05/25
Position Title: Executive Engineer
Source: AFL-CIO v. DOL, doc 73-2 Court Document, 3/29/25
Note: date/source in court filing
:
Marko Elez is granted basic access to 3 systems at CMS.
System Access: CALM: CMS Acquisition Lifecycle Management System
: read, 3/05/25 Marko Elez
Note: System for tracking CMS acquisitions, contracts, milestones and audits.
DOGE Project: Spending
System Access: HIGLAS: Healthcare Integrated General Ledger Accounting System
: read, 3/05/25 Marko Elez
Note: A single, integrated dual-entry accounting system that centralizes accounting for CMS programs, including Medicare and Medicaid.
DOGE Project: Spending
System Access: IDR: Integrated Data Repository
: read, 3/05/25 Marko Elez
Note: A data warehouse that receives all Medicare claims after they have been approved for payment
DOGE Project: Immigration
System Access:
Multiple DOGE staff (Edward Coristine, Marko Elez and Aram Moghaddassi) are granted access to the Healthcare Integrated General Ledger Accounting System (HIGLAS). This system tracks all payments made by Medicare, among other expenditures.
Person: Aram Moghaddassi, Edward Coristine, Marko Elez
Source: AFL-CIO v. DOL, doc 73-2 Court Document, 3/29/25
Agency: CMS
DOGE Project: Spending
System Access:
Edward Coristine, Zach Terrell, Aram Moghaddassi and Marko Elez are also granted read access to the Integrated Data Repository (IDR), a data warehouse of all Medicare claims.
Person: Aram Moghaddassi, Marko Elez
Source: AFL-CIO v. DOL, doc 73-2 Court Document, 3/29/25
Agency: CMS
System Access:
A second wave of DOGE members detailed to HHS (Edward Coristine, Marko Elez and Aram Moghaddassi) are granted read access to the CMS Acquisition Lifestye Management System (CALM), which tracks CMS aquisitions and contracts
Person: Aram Moghaddassi, Edward Coristine, Marko Elez
Source: AFL-CIO v. DOL, doc 73-2 Court Document, 3/29/25
Agency: CMS
DOGE Project: Spending
Identification:
The Intercept receives a list of 30 DOGE staffers working within the Executive Office of the President (EOP), including 4 lawyers previously not listed
Onboarding:
Business Insider reports Marko Elez, Aram Moghaddassi, and Miles B. Collins are new DOGE arrivals at Department of Labor.
3/06/25
:
Marko Elez is granted basic access to NDNH at HHS.
System Access: NDNH: National Directory of New Hires
: read, 3/06/25-4/18/25 Marko Elez
Note: A system for tracking wages and new hires that's used for child support location
DOGE Project: Immigration
3/12/25
Identification:
In a sworn declaration, Florence Felix-Lawson notes “the SSA DOGE Team currently consists of ten SSA employees: four SSA special government employees (Employees 1, 4, 6, and 9) and six detailees to SSA from other government agencies and offices (Employees 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, and 10)”
3/13/25
Identification:
Wired reports that 10 DOGE staffers are currently visible in the Microsoft Teams directory of all employees at SSA
Identification:
As later reported in a declaration in AFL-CIO et al. vs. Department of Labor, HHS employee Mark Samburg finds DOGE staff at the agency listed in an online directory as Executive Engineers (and Rachel Riley as a Senior Advisor).
3/15/25
:
Marko Elez is granted basic access to SAVE at USCIS.
System Access: SAVE: Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements
: unknown, 3/15/25 Marko Elez
Note: An online service for agencies to verify immigration status and naturalized/acquired U.S. citizenship of applicants seeking benefits or licenses.
DOGE Project: Immigration
3/17/25
:
Marko Elez is granted basic access to 3 systems at SSA.
System Access: MBR: Master Beneficiary Record
: read, 3/17/25 Marko Elez
Note: A large record of all individuals elgible to receive social security benefits
DOGE Project: Immigration
System Access: NUMIDENT: Numerical Identification System
: read, 3/17/25 Marko Elez
Note: NUMIDENT files that have been extracted from SSA systems, these contain SSNs for everybody
DOGE Project: Fraud, Impunity
System Access: SSR: Supplemental Security Record master records
: read, 3/17/25 Marko Elez
Note: A master record used by the SSA for the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program
DOGE Project: Immigration
3/19/25
Report:
Marko Elez affirms he has completed his mandatory privacy training at the Department of Labor. This would normally be required before any system access, but he has been at the agency for several weeks.
Person: Marko Elez
Source: AFL-CIO v. DOL, doc 73-3 Court Document, 3/29/25
Agency: DOL
DOGE Project: Impunity
3/21/25
:
Marko Elez is granted basic access to UI Data at DOL.
System Access: UI Data: Unemployment Insurance Data and Related Records
: read, 3/21/25 Marko Elez
Note: Unemployment insurance claims data from states' unemployment insurance agencies. This was explicitly transferred from the Inspector General's office at DOL following a 2025-03-20 executive order
DOGE Project: Immigration
3/29/25
Identification:
In response to a discovery request made in AFL-CIO vs. DOL, the government provides an incomplete list of DOGE staff who have worked at HHS.
Person: Amy Gleason, Edward Coristine, Kyle Schutt, Luke Farritor, Marko Elez
Source: AFL-CIO v. DOL, doc 73-2 Court Document, 3/29/25
Agency: HHS
Legal:
In a legal filing, the DOJ identifies 4 DOGE staffers - Edward Coristine, Marko Elez, Luke Farritor and Amy Gleason - as present at CMS. It omits the names of several other staffers with access to the CALM system.
4/11/25
Identification:
Politico profiles a DOGE immigration task force that is located within DHS but has contacts with DOGE staff at other agencies. It includes multiple DOGE staffers detailed from various agencies.
4/16/25
Interagency Coordination:
Three DOGE staffers – Marko Elez, Edward Coristine and Joe Gebbia – are reported to be working with staff from DHS, the State Department and USCIS on implementing an application process for a $5 Million “Gold Card” visa. It is unclear what agencies they are working for and how this partnership has been structured.
4/18/25
:
Marko Elez is granted basic access to REO at DOL.
System Access: REO: Reentry Employment Opportunities
: unknown, 4/18/25 Marko Elez
Note: System which tracks funding provided for justice-involved youth and young adults and adults who were formerly incarcerated.
DOGE Project: Immigration
Access Revoked:
Marko Elez has basic access revoked for NDNH at HHS.
System Access: NDNH: National Directory of New Hires
: read, 3/06/25-4/18/25 Marko Elez
Note: A system for tracking wages and new hires that's used for child support location
DOGE Project: Immigration
4/21/25
:
Marko Elez is granted basic access to ECAS at DOJ.
System Access: ECAS: Executive Office for Immigration Review's Court and Appeals System
: unknown, 4/21/25 Marko Elez
Note: A system used by DOJ for tracking the status of immigration cases
DOGE Project: Immigration

Open Questions

  • Was Marko Elez' appointment extended to be past his NTE date of 2025-06-11 and was his pay of $84,601 annual or just for those 6 months or so?
  • How did DOGE staff from Treasury share their data with the DOGE staff at SSA?
    The NYT reports that DOGE staff at Treasury found what it thought were fraudulent payouts from SSA and shared them with DOGE staff at SSA on 2/10. How did they do this? Treasury testified Marko Elez was the only DOGE person with access and his laptop was secured against data removal. And Elez resigned on 2/7 so he couldn’t have taken his laptop over there. So, how did the data get there?