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(June 21, 2025) — Shredding and blocking access to records of vital public interest detailing controversial federal government actions has earned Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) the 2025 Golden Padlock Award from Investigative Reporters and Editors. The award celebrates annually the most secretive government agencies in the U.S.
DOGE was chosen from a competitive field of contenders on the strength of aggressive secrecy measures including removing itself from the transparency requirements of access to information legislation, having staff use outside computer servers and communication tools featuring disappearing messages and the mass firing of public servants, including those responsible for speaking to reporters.
A federal judge who ordered DOGE to release public records in March described the agency as operating in "unusual secrecy." In the process of dismantling USAID, DOGE ordered the shredding of documents by staff who then placed the remains in bags labelled "SECRET."
IRE's Golden Padlock committee also named four other finalists that exemplified the techniques of secrecy and obfuscation the award seeks to highlight.
The winner of the 2025 Golden Padlock Award was announced during the awards luncheon at the IRE Conference in New Orleans. IRE invited Musk and DOGE officials to attend and accept the award, but received no response.
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