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The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an agency established during Donald Trump’s administration and led by Elon Musk, has been embroiled in controversies since its inception. The latest controversy stems from the resignation of Marko Elez, a DOGE staffer, following the resurfacing of racist social media posts. Elez, who had been granted restricted access to a $5 trillion Treasury payment system, stepped down after his online activity came under scrutiny.
Resignation Amid Racist Social Media Posts
According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, Elez was linked to a now-deleted social media account that had repeatedly promoted racist and eugenic ideologies. One of the posts from this account specifically targeted Indians, stating, “Normalize Indian hate,” in response to a discussion about the significant presence of Indians in Silicon Valley. Another post read, “99% of Indian H1Bs will be replaced by slightly smarter LLMs, they’re going back don’t worry guys.”
Other Controversial Posts
The same account also made several other inflammatory remarks. One post from July stated, “Just for the record, I was racist before it was cool,” as reported by the Wall Street Journal. Another post read, “You could not pay me to marry outside of my ethnicity.” These resurfaced posts led to widespread backlash and eventually resulted in Elez’s resignation.
Elez was one of two temporary appointees at the Treasury Department connected to DOGE. Following the backlash, he decided to step down from his position. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed his resignation but did not provide further details about the administration’s stance on the controversy.
Investigation Into Social Media Accounts
Reports indicate that the now-deleted account @nullllptr was previously associated with the username @marko_elez. Archived records reviewed by the Wall Street Journal showed that @nullllptr had claimed employment at SpaceX and Starlink. Furthermore, Elez now reportedly operates an X account under @marko_elez, which had frequently engaged with the same users and shared similar content as the controversial @nullllptr account.
Who is Marko Elez?
Elez has a background in computer science, having studied the subject at Rutgers University. While still a sophomore, he co-founded a company called Unimetrics.io, which aimed to help high school students connect with mentors for college applications.
His professional career includes working with Elon Musk at SpaceX on projects related to Starlink satellites. Later, he joined X (formerly Twitter), where he focused on artificial intelligence initiatives. His affiliation with Musk and involvement in major technology projects made him a notable figure within DOGE before his resignation.
The controversy surrounding Elez raises concerns about the vetting process for government appointees and the impact of their online history on public trust. His departure adds to the ongoing scrutiny of DOGE, which has faced criticism since its formation. As the government grapples with the fallout, questions remain about how such individuals secure high-level positions and whether further measures will be implemented to prevent similar incidents in the future.
