New FOIA documents reveal that a DOGE affiliate attempted to frame his work at HUD as university research to secure academic credits from the University of Chicago.

  • DOGE affiliate Christopher Sweet requested academic credit for his time at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
  • The work involved developing 'SweetRex,' an AI tool designed to flag federal regulations for rescission.
  • Internal emails reveal that the course outline for the credits was generated using ChatGPT.

New documents obtained via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request have sparked controversy regarding the professional standards of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). According to the nonprofit legal organization Democracy Forward, Christopher Sweet, an undergraduate student, sought to have his work at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) counted toward his degree at the University of Chicago.

Sweet joined HUD in early 2025 to develop an AI-driven tool named 'SweetRex.' The software was intended to crawl through agency rules and regulations to identify contracts and mandates for potential cancellation. Rather than a standard internship, Sweet and another DOGE affiliate, Scott Langmack, attempted to frame the project as high-level, multi-disciplinary research worth three college credits.

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Why This Matters

BozokMedia analysis shows that this incident highlights a potential breakdown in the distinction between academic experimentation and federal governance. When undergraduate-level tasks are used to reshape national regulatory frameworks, the implications for legal stability and administrative expertise are profound.

This case raises serious concerns about unqualified individuals being entrusted with rewriting rules that affect millions of Americans.

The documents highlight a highly unorthodox approach to academic accreditation. Emails between Sweet and Langmack detail proposed courses such as “Advanced AI Prompt Engineering for Legal Reasoning” and “Applied Data Science for Federal Regulatory Analysis.” Most notably, Langmack admitted in an email that the academic outline sent to the university was produced using ChatGPT.

The involvement of Scott Langmack has also come under scrutiny. Langmack, who transitioned from the private sector firm Kukun to HUD with no prior federal experience, now serves as the executive director of deregulation AI at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This rapid ascent into critical regulatory roles underscores the unconventional nature of the current administration's staffing strategy.

Did You Know?: The 'SweetRex' AI tool was designed to be scaled across the entire federal government to automate the rescission of outdated regulations.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Did the University of Chicago grant the credits?
While Sweet graduated from the University of Chicago this past June with a degree in economics, it remains unconfirmed whether the DOGE work contributed to his academic requirements.

2. What is the role of Democracy Forward in this story?
Democracy Forward is the legal organization that filed the FOIA request and is calling for oversight into how these affiliates are handling government business.