The White House says Elon Musk is a "special government employee." Here's what that means.
CBSN
Billionaire Elon Musk is categorized as a "special government employee" through his work with the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, a cost-cutting initiative created by President Trump to find ways to trim federal spending.
Musk's employee status was confirmed by White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt on Monday, although she added that she wasn't sure whether the Tesla CEO has gained security clearance.
DOGE, which isn't a federal department, has drawn criticism from Democratic lawmakers and sparked several lawsuits since Mr. Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20, with some claiming Musk's DOGE is violating various laws. For instance, two unions and the Alliance for Retired Americans, an advocacy group for older people and retirees, sued on Feb. 3 over DOGE's access to the Treasury Department's payment systems — which handle everything from tax refunds to Social Security payments — alleging that the move breaches privacy regulations.
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