Musk Connections: Unknown
Other Corporate Affiliations: COO Kukun; Director of Worldwide Marketing at Pepsi Cola International; Head of OEM Marketing at Microsoft
DOGE Deployments: Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
- According to CNBC, Scott Langmack is a DOGE representative within HUD. As a “senior advisor,” Langmack seemingly has broad decision-making authority over the agency’s workforce size, funding priorities, and oversight initiatives.
- According to his LinkedIn profile, Langmack has invested in a variety of Fintech companies and startups in other industries over the years. These associations have yet to be disclosed since his hiring at DOGE, and any of them could potentially post conflicts of interest.
LANGMACK’S FIRST ACTIONS AT HUD COUNTER TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN PROMISES AND DOGE’S PROFESSED GOALS
- In a February 10th email, Langmack demanded that HUD employees both personally vouch for all contractors and vendors they work with and share information pertaining to “DEI components” within any of the agency’s contracts. These orders were ostensibly part of a “comprehensive contract review” that DOGE is conducting at HUD.
- February reporting from The Washington Post and Housingwire on an internal memo outlining DOGE’s plans for HUD include a 50% reduction in staff and billions of dollars in cuts to equity programs and oversight capacity. These directives have largely come from Langmack, rather than the agency’s Secretary (and top-ranking official), Scott Turner.
- HUD employees interviewed by The Washington Post pointed out that Langmack’s directives for the agency contrast Trump’s campaign promises to DOGE’s supposed mission to increase accountability and efficiency:
- “Many employees said their instructions also seemed counter to DOGE’s focus on increasing accountability and government oversight. One employee in a field office, for example, relies on a travel budget to monitor public housing authorities and make sure they are spending funds appropriately. The employee was recently told that the budget must be cut dramatically, so most oversight work will have to be done remotely — making it harder to verify that money isn’t being wasted. Another employee said unpaid contracts are now accruing interest, adding more costs.”
LANGMACK’S CURRENT ROLE AS COO OF KUKUN MAY PRESENT A CONFLICT OF INTEREST
- Langmack’s LinkedIn profile says that he also works as the chief operating officer of Kukun, an “AI powered Property Technology platform for homeowners and real estate investors.” It is unclear whether he is planning to keep his role while also working for DOGE.
- On Linkedin, Langmack described Kukun as “pick[ing] up where Zillow left off” in the home valuation analytics market. In 2021, Zillow completely shuttered its Zillow Offers business—just eight months after launching the venture—after incurring heavy losses on homes bought through the program.
- In 2018, Kukun announced its ongoing partnership with the financial technology company SoFi. Once a former leader in the private student loan financing industry, SoFi sued the Department of Education in March 2023 to accelerate federal student loan repayments for millions of noncustomers. In May 2024, SoFi paid $1.1 million to settle with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority over allegations of weak fraud prevention protocols.
- HUD employees interviewed by The Washington Post have noted that Langmack “has expressed enthusiasm for using AI but has no broader housing expertise.” AI’s utilization in housing markets has worsened the housing crisis by offering corporate landlords algorithmic deniability to price gouge and discriminate.
- On February 26th, Propublica reported that another DOGE representative, Michael Mirski, was given “read-only” access to the HUD’s Enforcement and Management System—a database containing personal information on alleged victims and alleged perpetrators of housing discrimination. As of writing, it is unclear what role Langmack played in securing Mirski’s access or whether he has access as well. Regardless, such information would be extremely useful for proptech firms like Kukun.
As Elon Musk’s DOGE continues to tear through agencies with little oversight or transparency, the Revolving Door Project is publishing profiles of reported DOGE employees: who they are, where they came from, and any conflicts of interest that might make their unfettered access to the federal government dangerous to the public. Read them all here.