The fact that DOGE went through as deeply as they did and found, to a rounding error, zero fraud, is sort of remarkable from my priors around government efficiency.
In my experience, the majority of the fraud is legal.
Charging the DoD $400 for a toilet seat is an absolute fraud --- but perfectly legal if they agree to pay it.
Replacing perfectly functional equipment just in order to use up this year's budget and avoid cuts for next year is a common fraud that occurs at all levels of government --- done without breaking any laws.
> In my experience, the majority of the fraud is legal
DOGE was never concerned with legality.
> Charging the DoD $400 for a toilet seat is an absolute fraud --- but perfectly legal if they agree to pay it
Sure. But we didn't find evidencde of this. In part because DOGE didn't bother with our military-industrial complex.
I'll grant that part of our government hasn't been certified clean or dirty. But the fact that DOGE was unable to find these $400 toilet seats practically anywhere, save, perhaps, for in USAID, is a clean-sheet record most enterprises would aspire to.
The real fraud is the idea that Social Security is rampant with fraud --- without being able to show any proof.
The fact that DOGE went through as deeply as they did and found, to a rounding error, zero fraud, is sort of remarkable from my priors around government efficiency.
In my experience, the majority of the fraud is legal.
Charging the DoD $400 for a toilet seat is an absolute fraud --- but perfectly legal if they agree to pay it.
Replacing perfectly functional equipment just in order to use up this year's budget and avoid cuts for next year is a common fraud that occurs at all levels of government --- done without breaking any laws.
> In my experience, the majority of the fraud is legal
DOGE was never concerned with legality.
> Charging the DoD $400 for a toilet seat is an absolute fraud --- but perfectly legal if they agree to pay it
Sure. But we didn't find evidencde of this. In part because DOGE didn't bother with our military-industrial complex.
I'll grant that part of our government hasn't been certified clean or dirty. But the fact that DOGE was unable to find these $400 toilet seats practically anywhere, save, perhaps, for in USAID, is a clean-sheet record most enterprises would aspire to.
"DOGE was never concerned with legality."
So they have their own special definition of "fraud"?