Court filings show FEMA contractor Kara Voorhies worked for DOGE member's startup
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
Kara Voorhies, a special government employee at FEMA, was subcontracted from fall 2025 to spring 2026 by a company owned by DOGE member Kyle Schutt, court filings show. The documents were filed in a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's cuts to the federal workforce. DHS, Voorhies and Schutt did not respond to requests for comment.
Key Facts
- Kyle Schutt is a DOGE operative whose company contracted with the Department of Homeland Security.
- An April letter from three Democratic members of Congress alleged Voorhies had outsize “power to not only influence the award of contracts and grants but also to punish entities.”
- Voorhies had no previous government experience and was not paid by the government as a special government employee.
- Jamal Daniel, founder of Crest Investment Company, introduced Voorhies to Corey Lewandowski, then a senior adviser and chief of staff to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
- Special government employees are limited to 130 days of government work per year and face fewer transparency and disclosure requirements than federal employees.
The Voorhies-Schutt Subcontract
Court filings show that from fall 2025 to spring 2026 Kara Voorhies was subcontracted by a company owned by Kyle Schutt, a DOGE operative whose company held a contract with the Department of Homeland Security. Voorhies was a special government employee at FEMA, an agency of DHS, and the arrangement has drawn scrutiny from Congress and the DHS inspector general. The documents were filed in a lawsuit brought by the American Federation of Government Employees contesting President Donald Trump’s vast cuts to the federal workforce. Voorhies, who had no previous government experience, said she joined DHS in April 2025 from Crest Investment Company, where she served as chief financial officer. She said Jamal Daniel, founder of Crest Investment Company, introduced her to Corey Lewandowski, then a senior adviser and chief of staff to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
Oversight Scrutiny
An April letter from three Democratic members of Congress alleged that Voorhies had outsize “power to not only influence the award of contracts and grants but also to punish entities.” Mississippi congressman Bennie G. Thompson wrote that federal law prohibits government contractors from performing “inherently governmental functions.” Voorhies said she was brought in to improve “efficiency and responsiveness of FEMA” but struggled to define efficiency and was never given a formal job description. Special government employees are subject to fewer transparency and disclosure requirements than federal employees but are limited to 130 days of government work per year. DHS, Voorhies and Schutt did not respond to requests for comment.
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Court filings show FEMA contractor Kara Voorhies worked for DOGE member's startup
