DOGE Reports Discovery of $312 Million in Pandemic Loans Distributed to Children
According to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), approximately 5,500 loans amounting to $312 million were granted to borrowers whose only listed owner was 11 years old or younger at the time the loan was issued.
Over the weekend, DOGE revealed that the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) allegedly approved thousands of loans totaling hundreds of millions of dollars to individuals with an age recorded as 11 years or younger.
“While there may be legitimate business scenarios where this is feasible, it is extremely unlikely for these 5,593 loans, given that all utilized a Social Security Number (SSN) associated with an incorrect name,” the post continued.
It also mentioned that DOGE and the SBA are currently investigating this issue. The Epoch Times reached out to the SBA for comments on Sunday.
Additionally, DOGE announced that a U.S. Department of Agriculture contract worth $10.3 million aimed at “identifying unnecessary contracts” has been canceled, highlighting that it was one of 162 nonessential contracts terminated.
Since the beginning of the second Trump administration, DOGE has been examining federal agency data to identify waste that can be eliminated to save costs. However, the organization has faced criticism and encountered numerous lawsuits challenging DOGE’s legality and Elon Musk’s involvement.
On March 7, a coalition of labor unions petitioned a federal court for an emergency order to prevent DOGE from accessing the Social Security data of millions of Americans.
This motion for emergency relief was filed in a federal court in Maryland by the legal advocacy group Democracy Forward against the Social Security Administration and its acting commissioner, Leland Dudek. The unions are seeking to block DOGE’s access to the extensive personal data managed by the agency.
Several judges have expressed concerns regarding DOGE’s broad cost-saving measures, which have been executed with minimal public transparency regarding its staffing and operations. However, judges have not consistently deemed the risks imminent enough to restrict DOGE’s access to government systems.
DOGE has gained access to government databases, including those of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The Trump administration has generally indicated that these efforts aim to eliminate waste and fraud within the government.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.