Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY) is exposing what she calls a massive financial scheme within the Department of Education, where billions of taxpayer dollars are being redirected away from students and into a cycle of bureaucratic spending. Speaking on Winston Marshall’s podcast, Hageman described a system in which government funding is funneled through layers of consultants and nonprofits, ultimately circling back to political players.
She highlighted that the Department of Education operates on an annual budget of approximately $280 billion. However, she pointed out that less than 25% of those funds actually go toward classroom instruction. The remaining funds, she argued, get absorbed by bureaucratic operations, consultant fees and nonprofits, many of which are politically aligned.
EXPOSED 🚨 Department of Education is laundering money back to the Democrat Party
“This is why Democrats are losing their minds over Elon Musk. It's all about money”
Rep Harriet Hageman “The Federal Department of Education spends it as a budget of about $280 billion a year.… pic.twitter.com/BGNPOCjXgE
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) March 16, 2025
According to Hageman, money is passed through various agencies, with consultants and organizations benefiting while schools continue to struggle. “It goes to a bureaucracy. It goes to a consultant, and that consultant then donates money back to the Democrats,” she said, describing it as “money laundering at its absolute best.”
She praised the Department of Government Oversight and Efficiency (DOGE) for identifying these financial abuses. While DOGE does not have the power to cut funding directly, its findings can be used to guide legislative efforts to eliminate wasteful spending.
“What I want DOGE to do is come up with a report, go through agency by agency by agency, identify every single program that we should not be funding, and put a number attached to it,” she said. “Then we take that report and slash budgets accordingly.”
Hageman, who replaced former Rep. Liz Cheney, has been vocal about reducing government overreach and holding agencies accountable. Her latest remarks reinforce a growing push among conservatives to rein in federal spending and ensure taxpayer money is used responsibly.
With federal budgets under increased scrutiny, Hageman’s call for accountability could add momentum to broader Republican efforts to restructure wasteful government programs.
