DOGE Agency Operatives Create Unofficial SBA Social Media Account

A few weeks ago, after the involvement of two members from the Government Efficiency Agency (DOGE), Donald Park and Edward Colistine, a new account emerged on X, known as @doge_sba. This account was tied to the Small Business Administration (SBA).

Since 2010, the SBA’s official account has frequently shared updates, including posts from former Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler. However, documents acquired via Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, shared exclusively with Wired, indicate that a member of DOGE initiated and managed this new X account. It seems they acted without involving the government employees typically responsible for external communication. Notably, there are indications that the account accepted complaints from potential whistleblowers through direct messages. This behavior illustrates how DOGE operated as a seemingly independent entity within government agencies.

Insiders familiar with governmental operations have pointed out that social media accounts are usually controlled by agency communication staff. However, the SBA social media team appeared completely unaware of the existence of this new account. In a March 6 email, one employee inquired about the @doge_sba account with a message, “Why didn’t you see this?”

An email from February 16 suggests that Park, one of the DOGE representatives at the SBA, created the @Doge_SBA account. This occurred shortly after the ownership change at the company, which resulted in a policy shift allowing only premium subscribers to utilize SMS for two-factor authentication.

On the same day the account was set up, it shared a post asking the public for help in identifying instances of waste, fraud, and abuse. The post emphasized the need for insights to curb these issues within government entities. The “Affiliate” tab on the DOGE X page lists 32 accounts associated with various agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, Social Security, Housing and Urban Development, and the SBA.

The DOGE_SBA account appeared to repeatedly encourage public participation in combating fraud and waste to benefit U.S. taxpayers and small businesses, suggesting ways agents could save government resources by eliminating unneeded services and contracts.

Attempts to reach out for comments from Park, Colistine, and the SBA communications team were unsuccessful.

A former U.S. government official, who requested anonymity, noted that it’s quite unusual for government employees to manage social media accounts without oversight from public servants. They described social media as a contentious battleground within government operations, growing increasingly utilized, and sometimes viewed as a tool for control. “From a DOGE perspective,” they remarked, “it seems they act beyond their authority.”