DOGE worker attacked by group as he walks woman to car in DC, feds say
Two men were arrested after authorities say they took part in an attack on a Department of Government Efficiency employee in Washington, D.C.
Laurence Cotton-Powell, 19, and Anthony Taylor, 18, are each charged with attempted unarmed carjacking, two counts of robbery and two counts of assault with intent to commit robbery, according to an Oct. 20 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Columbia.
According to prosecutors and court records, just before 3 a.m. Aug. 3, a large group approached a man and his friends at a gas station and assaulted them. Cotton-Powell stomped on the man’s head during the attack, officials said.
The man tried to escape, but the group followed him, knocked him to the ground and continued attacking him before robbing him of his watch and shoes, prosecutors said.
The defense attorney for Cotton-Powell did not immediately respond to an Oct. 23 request for comment. An attorney for Taylor could not be reached by McClatchy News.
After the assault, the group was walking and came across a DOGE employee walking a woman to her vehicle. “The DOGE employee pushed the woman into her car to protect her” as the group began to attack him, officials said.
The group punched and hit the employee repeatedly, banged on the car and pulled on the doors demanding the vehicle, according to prosecutors. The woman had the doors locked and the group members were not able to get in.
DOGE is a government initiative created by President Donald Trump to “bring accountability and transparency to federal spending” and to ensure “taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and effectively,” according to the White House.
It’s unclear if the group was aware the man was a DOGE employee or if his position was a motive in the alleged attack.
An officer patrolling pulled onto the block and saw the group assaulting the employee. When the group saw the officer they took off, officials said. However, police stopped two 15-year-olds and arrested them.
Cotton-Powell was arrested Oct. 16 and Taylor was arrested Oct. 17, prosecutors said. Each admitted to taking part in both assaults during police interviews, according to prosecutors.
