Alleged DOGE Imposters Demand Records From San Francisco City Hall

The three men were wearing Make America Great Again (MAGA) hats and DOGE shirts and authorities believe they were imposters.
Alleged DOGE Imposters Demand Records From San Francisco City Hall
The San Francisco City Hall in San Francisco, Calif., on Feb. 18, 2004. Hector Mata/AFP via Getty Images
Rachel Acenas
Updated:
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Authorities in San Francisco are looking for three men who entered San Francisco City Hall on Friday, posing as employees of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

The suspects entered various offices and demanded access to records “related to alleged wasteful government spending and fraud,” according to a statement by the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office.

The three men were wearing Make America Great Again (MAGA) hats and DOGE shirts and authorities believe they were imposters.

“We do not believe the individuals requesting access to City files were representatives from DOGE,” the sheriff’s office said.

City Hall employees refused to hand over any information and alerted law enforcement. By the time authorities had arrived, however, the three suspects had left the building.

The sheriff’s office is now reviewing surveillance videos and “using other investigative tools to pursue leads,” it said.

DOGE, an advisory panel launched by Trump, has been tasked with weeding out wasteful federal government spending, fraud, and abuse.

California recently joined 18 other states in suing the federal government to stop DOGE from accessing Treasury Department records including Americans’ social security and bank information. The court granted a temporary restraining order while the states seek a preliminary injunction.

“Our country cannot afford to have people in the driver’s seat who move fast and break things, especially when the things they’re breaking are critical and sensitive systems that millions of Americans’ rely on,” Attorney General Bonta said in a statement. “The President does not hold the power to give Americans’ bank account and social security numbers to anyone he’d like—and as of Friday night, he must stop doing so.”
Meanwhile, a judge in Washington on Feb. 14 declined a request by unions and nonprofits for a temporary restraining order to prevent the DOGE team from gaining access to records at the Department of Labor, the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

While speaking to reporters on Thursday, Musk defended DOGE’s efforts to drastically cut spending, saying that Americans voted for major change and that the Trump administration is delivering.

President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Feb. 11 directing government agencies to consult with DOGE on slashing the federal workforce and “eliminating waste, bloat, and insularity.”

The order calls for massive cuts, including a directive “that each agency hire no more than one employee for every four employees that depart.”

The executive order provides some exemptions, including to the military and law enforcement.

Rachel Acenas
Rachel Acenas
Freelance Reporter
Rachel Acenas is an experienced journalist and TV news reporter and anchor covering breaking stories and contributing original news content for NTD's digital team.
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