The funds had already been released when the grant was terminated
NEED TO KNOW
- A lawsuit accused DOGE employees of using ChatGPT to cut over $100 million in National Endowment for the Humanities grants
- One of those cuts was a $349K grant for a museum HVAC system, which was flagged as DEI-related and terminated
- Elon Musk fronted the Department of Government Efficiency before resigning from the role in 2025; he went on to call the program “just a little bit successful”
The Elon Musk-fronted Department of Government Efficiency is under scrutiny after a recently filed lawsuit revealed some of the government funding that was cut, while allegedly aiming to target “diversity, equity and inclusion” (DEI) programs.
Per a motion, Fox and Cavanaugh allegedly utilized ChatGPT to scan the grants managed by the National Endowment for the Humanities. In the process, they eliminated more than $100 million in funds.
One of the grants they appeared to target was a $349,000 grant for a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system for the High Point Museum, which was flagged as being a DEI program. The North Carolina museum’s mission is “sharing greater High Point’s history, providing perspective for current issues, and strengthening our community,” according to its website.
A table included with the motion revealed the process that DOGE used to determine what programs to cut…