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On the grease transfer front: I originally used grease for the locking mechanism, but my key would pick up the grease+dirt every time I locked/unlocked it, and so my hands and jeans pockets would get dirty. I now use graphite powder and have never had any issues with it going anywhere.
I can also confirm that the OnGuard Brute does need lubing, or it will lock your bike safely and securely against your will one cold winter day, and hold it ransom until you bring a lube sacrifice (happened to, eh, a friend of mine?).
Levitz
When I worked (briefly) for a lubricant company, I was lucky enough to be shown around the Squire factory in the West Midlands. Squire (re-) sold an expensive (Swiss?) small puffer-bottles of finely ground graphite that was designed to DRY lubricate the friction surfaces of certain locks. I'm not certain, but I thnk these were more the door-lock 'BS 5-Lever' locks.
Micronised graphite is also available as a dispersion in various liquid carriers, (mineral oil, semi-synthetic and fully synthetic), that would confer some 'weather-proofing'.
I'm guessing with 'D'-locks we have the problem that we don't want water/moisture sitting/laying in the lock all day, inducing rust on metal surfaces,
so a persistent thick-ish grease is needed for the interfaces between the key and the rotating metal bars,
which inevitably could provide a long term adhesion agent for grit/mud etc.,
but we don't want that same thick-ish grease transferring from the pointed ends of the 'U'- part onto clothing/gloves/rucksacks/panniers.
Offered up as an imperfect/partial explanation as the owner of an On-Guard Brute that only unlocks when vertical, despite the attempted application of several types of (supposedly) persistent lubricant or grease.