As The Department Slashes Essential Programs And Mines Through Americans’ Private Data, Leader Schumer Demands To Know The Accuracy Of The Purported DOGE Savings

New York, N.Y. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today sent the following letter to the Acting Director of the Office of Personnel Management demanding the immediate release of documentation to verify unconfirmed reported DOGE savings.

Today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) sent the following letter to Mr. Charles Ezell, the Acting Director of the Office of Personnel Management, demanding the immediate release of documents pertaining to a supposed $318 million contract intended to support recruitment and branding within the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). DOGE claimed to have terminated this contract, reporting hundreds of millions in savings but despite their assertion, there is no record of this contract in any federal procurement databases, and OPM refuses to release any collaborating documents. Without such documentation, it’s impossible to know if the DOGE savings are real or fabricated.

“The unelected billionaire – Elon Musk – has operated like a shadow President in the Trump Administration. With no respect for the Constitution or the rule of law, Musk has dismantled departments, slashed essential benefits, and pried into the private data of all American citizens,” said Leader Schumer. “And despite coming into the position with lofty goals, it is clear his promise to cut down on waste and abuse is nothing more than smoke and mirrors. Musk and DOGE have not saved the American people trillions – like they claimed they would – instead, they have inflated their purported savings by lying and exaggerating, at the same time as they work to dismantle programs that American families rely on – like Medicaid and Social Security. DOGE must operate with transparency and scrutiny. Senate Democrats will continue to bring sunlight to this shadow operation.”

The letter can be seen here and below.

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Dear Mr. Ezell:

I write to demand the immediate release of documentation pertaining to Solicitation Number 47QFEA24K0008, a proposed $318 million contract intended to support recruitment and branding within the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has included this solicitation on its list of terminated contracts with reported savings. However, despite DOGE’s claims, there is no record of this solicitation in any federal procurement databases, and OPM has refused to release any related documentation in response to public requests. Without such documentation, it is impossible to verify whether the savings claimed by DOGE are genuine.

Despite significant public interest in this matter, fueled by inquiries made by journalist David Fahrenthold of the New York Times, OPM has stubbornly refused to release any information on Solicitation #47QFEA24K0008.  On April 14, 2025 Fahrenthold was forced to take to X.com, asking for help from the public after his attempts to obtain the records were stonewalled by OPM and DOGE. The lack of cooperation from both agencies is troubling. The public has a right to access documents concerning DOGE’s reported savings. Such documents must be readily available to ensure these claimed savings are real, legitimate, and truly beneficial to taxpayers.

By failing to provide clear documentation and denying access to records surrounding this solicitation, OPM has made it impossible to determine whether the cancellation of this proposal resulted in the savings DOGE has claimed. The public is left in the dark as to whether these savings are based on real, verifiable data. This lack of transparency only raises further questions about the accuracy of DOGE’s reported savings and the effectiveness of its cost-saving measures. The refusal to release essential records also raises concerns regarding OPM’s own internal processes and oversight mechanisms.

In light of these concerns, I am calling on OPM to immediately release all materials related to Solicitation #47QFEA24K0008, including the original solicitation and any documentation concerning its cancellation. The public has every right to know whether the savings DOGE claims from the cancellation of this solicitation are accurate.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your prompt response.

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