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Staff members at Elon Musk’s initiative known as the “department of government efficiency” (Doge) recently requested a meeting with the Vera Institute of Justice, a non-profit focused on criminal justice reform. The outreach suggests an intention to possibly embed a team within Vera, indicating an expansion of Doge’s authority. According to Doge, not accommodating this meeting would be a breach of an executive order signed by Donald Trump that bolstered their operations.
On April 11, Nate Cavanaugh, a member of the Doge team, sent an email to Vera, demanding the conversation. This raised eyebrows since Vera had lost its government funding just a week earlier. Nevertheless, Vera agreed to a call, which took place the following Tuesday.
This initiative to engage with an independent non-profit organization highlights Doge’s growing influence and coincides with Musk’s increasing criticisms of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Previously, Doge has significant changes at numerous government entities like USAID and the congressionally funded USIP, and this move appears to broaden their targeting to include entirely independent organizations.
Insha Rahman, Vera’s vice-president of advocacy and partnerships, stated, “We have observed this administration undermining various sectors, including academia and media, and now it seems they are extending their outreach to the non-profit world.”
The Vera Institute engages with a range of criminal justice concerns, including enhancing conditions for incarcerated individuals and promoting mental health services. With an annual budget around $45 million, primarily funded by private donations, Vera has occasionally received federal grants, making it a target for some right-wing media outlets that critique its reform efforts. Rahman speculated that this might be part of the rationale for Doge’s interest in the organization.
During a 20-minute phone call with two Doge representatives, Vera’s legal counsel informed them that the organization was no longer receiving government funding after the abrupt cancellation of $5 million in Department of Justice contracts. The Doge representatives seemed unaware of this funding withdrawal and subsequently retracted their request for information on Vera’s government contracts. However, they did not provide clarity on the authority that empowered them to initiate such an investigation.
According to a statement from Vera, Cavanaugh and legal team member Justin Aimonetti mentioned that Doge intended to assign a team to Vera as part of a broader strategy to assess organizations that receive appropriated congressional funds. When questioned about Doge’s legal right to investigate a non-profit, Aimonetti did not provide a definitive answer.
Musk has previously claimed, without evidence, that numerous NGOs utilizing government contracts are engaged in fraud, suggesting that leaders of these so-called “fake NGOs” should face imprisonment. Vera voiced its concerns, stating it is going public about the recent incident due to fears that Doge intends to scrutinize more non-profits that do not align with their administration’s ideological stance.
“The Democrat government-funded NGO scam might be the biggest theft of taxpayer money ever,” Musk stated in a post on X last month.
Despite retracting their intention to investigate Vera after realizing the funding situation, the organization is cautioning other non-profits reliant on government support to remain vigilant. “We are disseminating this information widely among other federally funded non-profits to alert them to Doge’s intentions and the threat posed by their investigatory teams,” Vera’s statement highlighted. “This tactic of intimidation is an affront to independent mission-driven organizations and a risk to civil society.”
The White House, in response, denied any plans from Doge to embed within non-profits. A spokesperson mentioned to the Washington Post that Doge’s focus would primarily be on non-profits that handle substantial federal funding.
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www.theguardian.com