Vivek Ramaswamy said it was an honor to help with the Department of Government Efficiency as he announced he is leaving the endeavor to launch an expected bid for Ohio governor.

“It was my honor to help support the creation of DOGE. I’m confident that Elon & team will succeed in streamlining government,” Mr. Ramaswamy wrote Monday on X. “I’ll have more to say very soon about my future plans in Ohio. Most importantly, we’re all-in to help President Trump make America great again”

Mr. Trump created DOGE to identify wasteful government spending and places to make cuts to help reduce the federal deficits and debt, which now tops $36 trillion.

Mr. Trump appointed Mr. Ramaswamy and Elon Musk to serve as the leaders of the newly-made department. Mr. Ramaswamy is a biotech multi-millionaire who ran for the Republican presidential nomination. Mr. Musk, the owner of X owner and Tesla, is the world’s wealthiest person.

“Vivek Ramaswamy played a critical role in helping us create DOGE,” Trump spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement. “He intends to run for elected office soon, which requires him to remain outside of DOGE, based on the structure that we announced today. We thank him immensely for his contributions over the last 2 months and expect him to play a vital role in making America great again.”

The department is already facing multiple lawsuits, claiming it violates the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which is a law that regulates the creation of federal advisory committees.

• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.