A senior adviser in President Donald Trump's administration discussed and oversaw government contract matters involving companies backed by a venture capital firm in which he held an investment, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing federal records, financial disclosures and people familiar with the matter.
The report said Josh Gruenbaum, a former DOGE recruit who led federal purchasing operations at the General Services Administration's Federal Acquisition Service (FAS), invested between $100,001 and $250,000 in a Thrive Capital fund in March 2025.
Ten months later, the FAS awarded Thrive-backed artificial intelligence company Databricks a $1.8 million sole-source contract, according to the Journal. The newspaper also reported that Gruenbaum had been involved in discussions related to a separate bid by fintech company Ramp, another Thrive portfolio company.
Gruenbaum told the Journal he properly disclosed the investment, worked with ethics officials and recused himself from the contracts. He shared documentation showing ethics approval for the investment, the report said.
Friday marked Gruenbaum's final day in the administration, the newspaper reported.
source https://www.investing.com/news/economy-news/doge-official-discussed-contracts-tied-to-firm-he-invested-in-wsj-reports-4717777
