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DOGE staffers followed Musk’s lead in 2024 campaign contributions
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During the 2024 election cycle, Elon Musk went from occasional political donor with Democratic leanings to the biggest financial supporter of Donald Trump. An analysis of campaign finance data by OpenSecrets shows that many rank-and-file staffers who work at the Musk-driven Department of Government Efficiency followed his turn toward the political right.
DOGE has not disclosed much of its staff, but a New York Times investigation identified more than 70 employees [[link removed]] , primarily young people and many of whom have ties to Musk’s companies. Many staffers have little to no government experience and come from tech backgrounds.
Using the names from the Times investigation, OpenSecrets researcher Elizabeth Liu found a shift in political giving. Prior to 2024, people who now work for DOGE primarily gave to Democratic political action committees and candidates, but their dollars primarily went to Republican candidates and PACs in the 2024 election. Many staffers made their first political contributions in 2024 and mostly gave to Republican candidates.
A few examples:
* SpaceX-turned-OPM employees Christopher Stanley [[link removed]] , Christina Hanna, Justin Monroe [[link removed]] donated a combined of $610 in the 2020 cycle, a total that almost doubled in 2024 where they donated $1,160 exclusively to the SpaceX PAC (which primarily supported Republican campaigns).
* Antonio Gracias [[link removed]] was an early investor in many of Musk’s companies and now represents DOGE at the Social Security Administration. He and his wife, Sabrina Gracias [[link removed]] , donated $1.1 million to Democrats and $41,000 to Republicans prior to 2024. In 2024, they almost tripled their previous contributions combined. They donated $21,500 to Democratic candidates, $27,800 to Republican candidates and $3.1 million to Republican PACs — including $1 million to Musk’s America PAC and $2 million to a super PAC supporting David McCormick, the Republican candidate for Senate in Pennsylvania.
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Universities ramp up lobbying in response to Trump administration crackdown on higher education
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Universities and colleges across the United States are on pace to spend a record amount of money on lobbying in 2025 as President Donald Trump works to reshape higher education through massive cuts in federal financial support, Indy Scholtens reports.
The White House has been targeting institutions for their handling of issues like antisemitism, diversity policies and transgender inclusion, already cutting billions of dollars in funding to elite schools. Under financial pressure from the Trump administration, some universities are changing their policies [[link removed]] to comply with the president’s demands while ramping up their lobbying expenditures [[link removed]] . In 2024, colleges and universities broke a record by spending $104.9 million on lobbying [[link removed]] . In the first quarter of 2025, universities and colleges already spent $27.6 million [[link removed]] .
The biggest increases, which often include hiring additional lobbyists, were made by some of the universities that have become prominent targets of the administration, such as Columbia, Harvard, Northwestern and the University of California.
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What else we're reading
[[link removed]] [[link removed] goes here] Trump Cabinet Members Sold Millions in Stock Before Tariff Crash [[link removed]] (Sludge)
[[link removed]] [[link removed] goes here] A look at the Qatari lobby [[link removed]] (Politico)
[[link removed]] [[link removed] goes here] Elon Musk says he's going to do 'a lot less' political spending [[link removed]] (NBC News)
[[link removed]] [[link removed] goes here] Arizona bid to light up political dark money blasted as invasion of privacy [[link removed]] (Courthouse News Service)
OpenSecrets in the News
See our media citations from outlets around the nation this week:
[[link removed]] [[link removed]] [[link removed]] [[link removed]] Here’s why Tesla investors care so much that Elon Musk stops his Trump-leaning political donations [[link removed]] (MarketWatch)
Musk was the biggest donor in last year’s election cycle, contributing $291 million to groups supporting President Donald Trump or other Republican candidates, according to data from watchdog OpenSecrets.
The Travel Stocks Congress Loves to Trade [[link removed]] (Skift)
Like many of the other companies whose stock members of Congress have traded, Airbnb maintains a strong political presence in Washington, D.C. For example, it spent at least $940,000 each year for the past three years on federal-level government lobbying efforts, according to lobbying records compiled by OpenSecrets.
Pro-life activists warn House Republicans against ‘betrayal’ on Planned Parenthood funding [[link removed]] (The Washington Times)
Its clinics may be struggling, but Planned Parenthood Action is still a potent political force, spending $5.1 million in contributions and $10.5 million in outside spending in 2024 to elect Democrats and defeat Republicans, according to OpenSecrets.
Kansas abortion advocacy group sues state officials over law banning foreign contributions [[link removed]] (Kansas Reflector)
During the bill’s legislative hearings, proponents took particular issue with the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a left-leaning dark money group that has received millions from foreigners and involved itself in ballot measure campaigns across the U.S. Kansans for Constitutional Freedom took in more than $1.5 million in donations from the fund in 2022, according to OpenSecrets, an independent website that tracks money in politics.
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