The White House has appointed Amy Gleason as the acting administrator of the Department of Government Effectiveness(DOGE). The news, which an unnamed White House official told CNBC and other media outlets, comes after days of confusion in courtrooms, the press, and the pseudo-department itself. This makes Gleeson a likely target for near-constant litigation over DOGE’s access to sensitive data and the freezing of public funds – while potentially protecting his senior executive, Elon Musk.
Gleeson’s LinkedIn profile states that she previously worked for the U.S. Digital Service (which was later transformed into DOGE) and worked for Russell Street Ventures, a healthcare investment firm. It is not known when she received her current position and whether there are plans to appoint a permanent head of DOGE. Earlier today, White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt refused to name the official administrator of the group. “I’m not going to reveal that person’s name from this podium,” Levitt said, telling reporters that she would be “happy to announce it later.”
Gleeson was already named as a possible leader in a February 18 Wired article, where USDS officials described her as a liaison between DOGE, USDS and other agencies. But at the time, Wired noted that “little is known about her official role” and claimed that even staffers were unsure who exactly would be in charge.
The government does not say who is officially in charge of DOGE, but it leaves no doubt as to who is in charge. Levitt and others have repeatedly pointed out that Musk has general oversight of DOGE. At the same time, they denied that he has any formal connection to it, arguing that he is only a special civil servant acting as an advisor.
This is also true of the statements made under oath during the week-long court drama – numerous state attorneys general and private citizens have claimed that DOGE is operating illegally, while the government has tried to protect Musk and has not named anyone that opponents could sue. The February 17 court filing claims that Musk has “no actual or formal authority” over DOGE. Later, at a hearing on February 24, Justice Department lawyer Bradley Humphries told Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly that he did not know if anyone was running the organization at all.
