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By Nandita Bose
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -After weeks of refusing to answer the question, the White House on Tuesday revealed the identity of the Department of Government Efficiency's acting administrator, a little known former healthcare technology consultant named Amy Gleason.
The Trump administration has been repeatedly pressed to name the individual formally in charge of DOGE after saying in a court filing this month that billionaire Elon Musk, whom President Donald Trump has said is in charge, has no authority over the cost-cutting program.
Musk's role is an issue in lawsuits challenging the legality of DOGE's moves including its access to sensitive government payment systems.
Gleason, also a former official at the U.S. Digital Service, served in the first Trump administration. After Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration, the Digital Service was renamed DOGE and is radically downsizing the federal government, including thousands of job cuts.
A White House official said Gleason has acted as a liaison with other agencies. It wasn't immediately clear if Gleason was just named to the role or has held it for some time.
Her LinkedIn profile says she has worked as a senior adviser since last month. Gleason did not immediately reply to a message sent via the site.
A former USDS staffer told Reuters that Gleason returned to the agency ahead of Trump's inauguration as part of an effort to smooth the transition.
The executive order establishing DOGE said the administrator reports to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
Gleason's LinkedIn profile also shows she has worked as an independent consultant and product officer at a healthcare venture capital firm and a rural healthcare organization.
In a court filing earlier this month, the White House said Musk was a White House employee and senior adviser to the president. The administration has said Musk is an unpaid "special government employee," which means his role is temporary.
Gleason previously worked for the U.S. Digital Service from 2018 to 2021.
(Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Additional reporting by AJ Vicens in Detroit; Editing by Leslie Adler and Cynthia Osterman)
