DOGE’s Zombie Contracts: They Were Killed but Have Come Back to Life
DOGE’s Zombie Contracts: They Were Killed but Have Come Back to Life

The Times found that federal agencies have revived dozens of contracts that Elon Musk’s group still publicly listed as canceled, inflating what it has saved.
Read the full article on NY Times Politics
Truth Analysis
Analysis Summary:
The article's claim about federal agencies reviving canceled contracts with Elon Musk's group is partially supported by the existence of "zombie" contracts in other contexts, but the specific claim regarding Musk and federal agencies is not directly verifiable with the provided sources. The article exhibits moderate bias due to the negative framing of Elon Musk and the selective reporting implied by the "inflating what it has saved" statement.
Detailed Analysis:
- Claim:** "The Times found that federal agencies have revived dozens of contracts that Elon Musk’s group still publicly listed as canceled..."
- Verification Source #4: This source discusses "zombie mortgages" coming back to life, which provides a parallel concept of something thought to be dead being revived. However, it does not specifically address contracts with Elon Musk's group or federal agencies.
- Verification Source #5: This source mentions "DOGE" and waste, but it does not directly relate to contracts or federal agencies. It focuses on potential negative impacts of supporting DOGE.
- Verification Source #1, #2, #3: These sources are irrelevant to the claim, discussing video games, zombie behavior, and Crusader Kings respectively.
- Internal Knowledge:* Without access to the NY Times' original reporting or other reliable sources, it's impossible to verify the specific claim about Musk's contracts. The existence of "zombie mortgages" (Verification Source #4) suggests the concept is plausible, but doesn't confirm the specific instance.
- Claim:** "...inflating what it has saved."
- This claim implies that the revival of these contracts is a deceptive practice. It is not directly verifiable with the provided sources.
Supporting Evidence/Contradictions:
- Verification Source #4: Provides evidence of "zombie mortgages" being revived, which supports the general concept of something considered dead coming back to life. However, it does not support the specific claim about Elon Musk's contracts.
- Verification Source #5: Mentions "DOGE" but does not relate to the article's claim about contracts.
- Verification Source #1, #2, #3: Irrelevant to the article's claims.
- The lack of direct verification for the core claim necessitates a lower factual accuracy score. The negative framing of the "inflating what it has saved" statement suggests a moderate bias.