Amy Gleason has been appointed as the acting administrator of the U.S. DOGE Service, a task force restructured under the Trump administration for significant changes in federal bureaucracy, influenced by Elon Musk. This role was confirmed following weeks of speculation about the leadership amid concerns over transparency. Gleason, a former health care investment executive and previous digital service official, rejoined the agency later last year to assist Musk’s cost-cutting initiatives. However, her leadership faced challenges, as 21 employees recently resigned, opposing the perceived incursion of Musk and his allies into federal operations and expressing concerns about compromising public services.
Amy Gleason, previously a health care investment executive, is currently serving as the interim head of the Department of Government Efficiency, a task force aimed at overhauling the federal bureaucracy under Elon Musk’s leadership, as reported by a White House official on Tuesday.
For a fortnight, the Trump administration had been tight-lipped about who was officially in charge of the initiative reporting to the White House. Mr. Musk, the wealthiest individual globally and a prominent adviser to President Trump, has evidently been spearheading the effort, even sending an email to all federal employees on Saturday requesting them to outline their achievements from the prior week.
However, the White House has maintained in court that Mr. Musk is not the head of the cost-reduction team, contributing to the uncertainty surrounding the operation. On Monday, a federal judge urged the government to clarify the billionaire’s position, voicing concerns that unapproved individuals were practically overseeing the office.
On Tuesday, a name surfaced: Ms. Gleason has been identified as the acting leader of the U.S. DOGE Service, as per the White House official, who was not permitted to comment publicly.
Mr. Trump established the office on Inauguration Day via an executive order, transforming a White House tech team formed under President Barack Obama. Since that time, employees brought in by Mr. Musk and his aides have spread throughout the government, seeking access to confidential databases, examining federal employees, and even attempting to close entire agencies.
Ms. Gleason did not respond promptly to a request for comment. She was reported to be on vacation in Mexico on Tuesday and informed colleagues that she was unaware ahead of time that the White House intended to publicize her role, according to sources familiar with the matter who requested anonymity due to fear of retribution.
A career official, Ms. Gleason was previously part of the digital service unit during Mr. Trump’s initial term and rejoined the agency late last year, as per acquaintances and documents reviewed by The New York Times.
During Mr. Trump’s first administration, this digital agency — which deploys tech personnel throughout the federal government to assist with modernization initiatives — had stationed Ms. Gleason within the Health and Human Services Department, aiding in the Covid response, based on documents accessed by The Times.
Ms. Gleason has concentrated on healthcare reforms, which, she stated in a TEDx presentation in 2020, were influenced by her own frustrations with the medical system after her daughter was diagnosed with a rare illness. Following Mr. Trump’s initial term, she collaborated with Brad Smith, a healthcare executive who had worked alongside Mr. Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner on the Covid response, at a health-focused investment firm, where she took on the role of chief product officer.
Towards the end of last year, Mr. Smith began advising Mr. Musk’s cost-reduction initiatives and eventually brought Ms. Gleason, who is based in Nashville, into these discussions, according to sources familiar with the details.
On December 30, more than three weeks prior to Inauguration Day, Ms. Gleason was reintroduced at the digital service office as a “new hire” in an internal Slack channel, as seen in documents reviewed by The Times.
“My previous time at USDS was incredibly meaningful — full of challenges, successes, and unforgettable experiences,” Ms. Gleason expressed as part of a “new hire spotlight” document observed by The Times. “I’m eager to meet new colleagues and dive into impactful projects once again.”
In January, Ms. Gleason held regular meetings with Mr. Smith and Steve Davis, a senior aide to Mr. Musk, at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, where Mr. Musk has established his DOGE offices, according to a person familiar with her responsibilities.
In recent weeks, Ms. Gleason has overseen the integration of the digital service agency into Mr. Musk’s operations. Through an executive order, Mr. Trump relocated it from the Office of Management and Budget, where it had been established since its inception, to the White House — a move effectively safeguarding its work from open records laws that might provide public insight into its activities.
During an all-hands meeting with staff last week, Ms. Gleason urged employees to adopt a “one team” mentality and collaborate closely with their new counterparts, including numerous young engineers and lawyers recruited by Mr. Musk to assist in the overhaul of the federal bureaucracy.
However, the office’s takeover has not been without complications. On Tuesday, 21 employees from U.S.D.S. announced their resignations in protest against the encroachment of the federal government by Mr. Musk and his associates.
“We will not use our skills as technologists to compromise core government systems, jeopardize Americans’ sensitive data, or dismantle critical public services,” the group stated in their letter. “We will not lend our expertise to carry out or legitimize DOGE’s actions.”
Before Ms. Gleason’s role was made public, reporters had pressed the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, to identify the agency’s administrator during Tuesday’s press briefing.
“I’m not going to reveal the name of that individual from this podium,” Ms. Leavitt responded. “I’m happy to follow up and provide that to you. But we’ve been incredibly transparent about the way that DOGE is working.”
Theodore Schleifer contributed reporting.