New Delhi:
A group of Elon Musk’s close associates, including former interns and trusted sidekicks, has taken control of the General Services Administration (GSA), the federal agency which manages government offices and technology. The team is attempting to use White House security credentials for unusual access to GSA tech, deploying AI software, and restructuring the office to reflect Musk’s vision, according to leaked documents obtained by Wired.
Several people who helped Musk take over Twitter now have key roles at GSA. Nicole Hollander, who was part of Musk’s Twitter transition team, now holds a top government position with access to GSA systems. Her husband, Steve Davis, who also stayed at Twitter HQ, is now an integral member of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Other appointees include Thomas Shedd, a former Tesla engineer, Edward Coristine, a past Neuralink intern, and Ethan Shaotran, a Harvard AI researcher. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has also brought in key figures from Musk’s circle – Amanda Scales, formerly with xAI, is now OPM chief of staff, and ex-Tesla engineer Riccardo Biasini is a senior advisor.
A current GSA employee, speaking anonymously, expressed concern over the shift. “They are acting like this is a takeover of a tech company” rather than an effort to improve government services, the employee said.
Elon Musk’s team aims to cut federal spending by 50 per cent across GSA offices, Wired reports. Internal documents suggest an attempt to use IT credentials from the Executive Office of the President to access GSA systems. A former Biden official warned this could let non-government DOGE members view sensitive contracts and monitor federal workers.
The new leadership is also cutting GSA’s real estate holdings. A whiteboard in a DC office listed $585 million in cuts, 15 regulations removed, and 2,03,000 square feet of office space eliminated. Acting GSA Administrator Stephen Ehikian called it the “first step” in revising federal real estate.
Nicole Hollander has requested multiple “resting rooms” for senior GSA staff, similar to the sleeping pods set up at Twitter HQ after Musk’s takeover. A GSA working group recently discussed funding and waivers for these rooms.
Musk’s team is also pushing for AI integration in government operations. Documents show efforts to authorise Google Gemini and Cursor for federal use. A recent meeting with Google covered Telemetry, a software monitoring tool. A-suite engineers have also requested access to a decade’s worth of GSA accounting, vendor payments, and procurement records.
Earlier this month, OPM emailed over two million federal employees, offering “deferred resignations.” This would let them leave for the private sector while receiving full pay and benefits until September 30. A follow-up email confirmed the offer was real.
But the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) warned that Congress may not approve the plan and that funding is uncertain. There are also concerns that payments may not be honoured, given Elon Musk’s history of legal battles over unpaid severance at Twitter.
