Three men claiming to be part of the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency entered San Francisco City Hall on Friday and demanded records, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
The three were wearing DOGE shirts and Make America Great Again hats when they demanded that City Hall employees turn over digital information related to government spending and alleged fraud, a sheriff’s spokesperson told The Standard. The men, who had fled by the time sheriff’s deputies arrived, were carrying flash drives to copy the records.
The city employees did not hand over the information, and authorities do not believe the individuals were actual DOGE workers.
DOGE is an effort by Musk within President Donald Trump’s administration that claims to be rooting out corruption and government waste. Critics call the work an irresponsible and illegal dismantling of government bureaucracy.
A City Hall building manager wrote a message Friday to staff informing them of the incident.
“City Hall Building Management has received multiple reports of individuals entering public and private specs in City Hall through unlocked doors, while [filming] their interactions,” the manager wrote. “The individuals told occupants they are from the Department of Government Accountability and that they want to insert flash drives to download evidence of corruption. They did not present a judicial warrant, and therefore, had no authority to access computers or non public spaces.”
The incident is under investigation, and law enforcement agencies are reviewing surveillance video.