Is this a pipe dream? David Packman claiming that Elon Musk is stepping out of DOGE

[blogslug]

5. Elon is a "Special Government Employee" - Limited to 130 Days

He's not "stepping down". His "term" is ending.

https://www.doi.gov/ethics/special-government-employees

A "special Government employee" (or SGE) is an officer or employee in the Executive Branch of the Federal Government who is appointed to perform important, but limited, services to the Government, with or without compensation, for a period not to exceed 130 days during any period of 365 consecutive days. This status is important because the ethics rules apply differently to individuals who qualify as SGEs versus other Federal employees and officials.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_government_employee

Notable examples of SGEs include Huma Abedin (who was an SGE in the State Department in 2012, working for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton), Scott Atlas (an advisor appointed by President Donald Trump to the White House Coronavirus Task Force in 2020), and Elon Musk (appointed by Donald Trump as de facto leader of the Department of Government Efficiency in 2025).