DOGE savings GAO report finds major gaps in $110 billion claims
GAO found unsupported or incorrect entries in DOGE’s reported contract, grant and lease savings, and urged clearer disclosures.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
3 min read
A DOGE savings GAO report found significant gaps in the evidence behind $110 billion in claimed savings from federal contracts, grants and leases. The findings matter because the congressional watchdog said the figures posted on DOGE’s public Wall of Receipts were limited by weak disclosure, unexplained calculations and, in some cases, claims for savings that were not realized.
The Government Accountability Office published report GAO-26-108615 on Aug. 6 after reviewing Wall of Receipts entries reported between Jan. 20, 2025, and July 7, 2026. That $110 billion figure is limited to contracts, grants and leases reviewed by GAO; BBC reported that DOGE’s website separately put its broader estimated savings at about $214 billion.
What did the GAO find about DOGE savings claims?
GAO said some of the Wall of Receipts estimates were incorrect or lacked supporting evidence. Its review assessed the reliability and methods behind the reported figures, finding that the site did not give policymakers and the public sufficient information about known limitations in the underlying data.
For grants, DOGE did not provide enough information for GAO to verify how it calculated 96% of the reported savings. For contracts listed as terminated, GAO said DOGE did not use its stated calculation method for the majority of the claimed savings. The website also did not explain how it calculated savings from terminated leases, according to the report.
- Of 264 leases listed for termination, 108 were already being terminated when DOGE was created. They accounted for about $15.3 million of the $53.5 million in lease savings shown on the site.
- DOGE listed $1.7 billion in savings tied to a Defense Health Agency IT-services contract. GAO found the contract was not terminated and its scope, value and funding were not reduced, meaning no savings were achieved.
GAO reviewed Wall of Receipts data alongside public federal databases and interviewed officials at selected agencies. U.S. DOGE Service officials did not respond to the watchdog’s requests for information or interviews, GAO said, leaving it unable to determine why the site had not disclosed data-quality concerns.
The Wall of Receipts began publishing estimates on Feb. 17, 2025, and remained live as of July 7, 2026. GAO said the site had not added further explanation of its savings methodology or disclosed data limitations after its initial launch.
The watchdog recommended that the Executive Office of the President, acting through the U.S. DOGE Service, prominently display known data-quality issues and limitations on the site. GAO listed that recommendation as open.
Democratic Sens. Gary Peters of Michigan and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut requested the review in June 2025. Peters said DOGE had misled the public about its savings, while Blumenthal said the report showed the figures were unreliable and unclear.
This story draws on original reporting from Ars Technica.