Washington Lobbyists Turn to Musk’s DOGE to Influence Trump (1)

The legions of lobbyists who have long worked the halls of Congress and federal agencies to secure their policy priorities have a new target: A shadow federal department run by the world’s richest man, Elon Musk.

The Musk-run initiative, dubbed the Department of Government Efficiency, is supposed to advise President-elect Donald Trump on spending cuts and regulatory reform. It doesn’t yet — and may never — have any formalized responsibilities or authority. So far, its recruits have been organizing in clandestine meetings blocks from the White House.

But already, companies and industry groups have started looking to the DOGE, ...