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Senate minority staff estimated $16.8 million to reinstate wrongly dismissed staff

Reporting and findings

  1. estimate

    PSI minority staff estimated $16,824,145.80 in reinstatement-related costs after agencies reversed DOGE-era probationary dismissals.

  2. documented

    Elon Musk was the Trump-appointed senior adviser who led DOGE work.

  3. documented

    Russell Vought was the Trump-appointed OMB director and acting CFPB director.

Summary and current status

Reversals forced agencies to pay for correcting indiscriminate personnel actions.

$16.82 million minority-staff estimate through July 2025

People and organizations

Relationships in this file

  1. Elon Muskrequired agencies to reinstate workers after defective dismissalsOffice of Personnel Management
  2. Donald J. TrumpTrump-appointed senior adviser who led DOGE workElon Musk
  3. Donald J. TrumpTrump-appointed OMB director and acting CFPB directorRussell Vought

Money trail

  1. payment$16.8 million to reinstate wrongly dismissed staff$16.82 million
    Estimated source
    Federal agencies
    Estimated recipient
    Reinstated employees and remediation work
    Financially affected
    Agency operations and taxpayers
    estimated · 2025-07-31 · observedRead source record
    Calculation detailsPopulation Reinstatement work and back-pay costs identified by staffPeriod 2025-01-20 to 2025-07-31Basis Staff combined reported back-pay and administrative restoration estimates.Limits Does not capture every lawsuit, settlement, productivity loss, or later separation. Non-additive with the report's aggregate estimate.