"'And then we put out a call to our workforce to say, ‘Hey, you’re kind of mid-career talent. Would you be interested in doing a second job, in addition to your day job?’ Not a second paid job, but you’ll be part of this programming.'"
............
"[The administration's characterization of Direct File] has it completely backwards. It is a calculation that only makes sense if you do not value the time and money of citizens, but regard the government doing anything to help the public as a burden."
It’s tax season and Direct File is dead. I went on the Killswitch podcast with @dexdigi.bsky.social
to talk about what we built, who killed it, and why I’m certain it’ll make a comeback.
I posted a thing on LinkedIn about government procurement. I'm officially a professional adult. www.linkedin.com/posts/randy-...
“Agency relocations do not create more effective or efficient government. ... These relocations do not bring our government closer to the people it serves. In fact, nearly 87% of the federal workforce is already working nationwide outside of Washington, D.C."
“'What I told [the DOGE team] was that these are the procedures in place that we normally follow. ... They said that there was no need to follow the procedures, and if there was litigation, which has since occurred, this would be addressed in the litigation.'”
Videos of the depositions of Michael McDonald, Adam Wolfson, and DOGE staffers Justin Fox and Nathan Cavanaugh are available in our playlist at www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...
NEW: Over the past year, we've been collecting thousands of financial disclosure documents from across the Trump administration. Now we're making them searchable. Look up names, assets, former employers across 1,500+ Trump appointees and 3,000+ ethics documents.
We won’t stop fighting for a civil service that serves all Americans. We’re grateful for your ongoing support, and proud to stand with public servants past and present who continue to honor their oath to the U.S. Constitution.
The consequences of this campaign will be lasting and severe. When government employees are chosen for their political loyalty and not their expertise, the American people suffer.
Like the administration’s sweeping changes to Schedule F and its attempts to weaken labor unions, the threat to federal workers’ right to appeal is part of a concerted effort to undermine the nonpartisan civil service.
An independent agency, the MSPB exists to help protect the civil service against partisan interference. So it’s no surprise that the administration is attempting to remove certain appeals from the MSPB’s jurisdiction—again under the guise of “efficiency.”
The American people deserve transparency and accountability for the widespread harm caused by DOGE. We continue to pursue that accountability through our appeal working its way through the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB).
Even as we move forward in our lives, we stand by our claim that our firings were illegal. As the administration now pushes to *hire* tech talent, it’s clearer than ever that dismantling 18F was not about efficiency.
Many of our alumni are now in new roles, working everywhere from state and local governments to civic tech firms, nonprofits, and startups. Wherever we go, we carry our commitment to helping build tech that’s effective, accessible, and in the public interest.
It’s been one year since the elimination of 18F. 🧵
“'There’s an animated GIF of Joe Gebbia throwing a punch at the camera. What is that about, in [relation] to governance and serving the American people? I don’t know what that has to do with me as a taxpayer that’s funding this team.'”
We're paying close attention to the sections on "reckless handling of Americans’ data" and "delay, degradation, and elimination of programs and services for Americans."
Cover page of a report. Text reads, "Breaking Government: How DOGE and Trump Cost Taxpayers, Federal Workers, and Public Services. Interim Staff Analysis. Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. U.S. House of Representatives. February 12, 2026. oversightdemocrats.house.gov"
Though this hasn't received much news coverage, we're sharing in case our community is interested in reading the report in full. Link in 🧵.
"During his time at GSA, [outgoing director Thomas Shedd] has overseen layoffs across TTS, including shuttering 18F ... . ... experts raised questions about ethics and conflicts of interest regarding his employment setup, as he’s on a leave of absence from Tesla while working for the government."
More than a year after its formation, I continue to track DOGE's activities and try to shed light on their staffing based on what limited information I can find.
dogetrack.info
"I think the administration knows that employees will appeal if given the opportunity to do so, and that some of those appeals are justifiable, so they are trying to lessen the number of successful appeals and the ability for employees to fight these actions.”
New, from me: Trump finalized his Schedule F policy, allowing him to remove job protections from career civil servants.
The new rule is dishonest and unmoored from reality in its effort to formalize the politicization of the federal government 🧵
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/trumps-sch...
A manual for ICE's immigrant-targeting computer system, Palantir ELITE, was leaked today.
Let's look at it, then step back to evaluate how far we've come along a dangerous road and where that road might take us. 🧵
The fundamental question facing civic tech in 2026: Who should technology serve?
One Year In: What We Know the Trump Administration Means for Public Interest Technology - a reflection from @publicgood.tech @civictechallies.bsky.social
@wethebuilders.org
community.publicgood.tech/c/announceme...
New, from me: A year in, did DOGE deliver on its promises?
Not the promises it made to us (cut spending, modernize government, improve services). It worsened state capacity.
But it was part of a successful broligarchy exercise in state capture. 🧵
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/a-year-on-...
"What took generations to build is being dismantled in months, and with it goes not just expertise but what remains of the shared American faith in expertise itself."
