Elon Musk's DOGE Commission Gains Access to Sensitive Treasury Payment Systems: AP Sources
AInvestSaturday, Feb 1, 2025 9:22 pm ET
5min read
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The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by billionaire Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, has been granted access to sensitive Treasury payment systems, according to two people familiar with the situation. This move, which was first reported by The New York Times, has raised concerns among lawmakers and experts about potential politically motivated meddling and national security risks.

The Treasury's payment system is responsible for disbursing trillions of dollars in federal funds to American households, including Social Security and Medicare benefits, tax refunds, and payments to federal employees and contractors. Access to this system was historically limited to a few staff members due to the sensitive nature of the information it contains.

The highest-ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, Ron Wyden of Oregon, expressed concern that officials associated with Musk may have intended to access these payment systems to illegally withhold payments to any number of programs. In a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Wyden warned that any politically motivated meddling in these systems risks severe damage to the country and the economy.



Musk's extensive business operations in China have also raised concerns about potential national security risks. In a letter to Bessent, Wyden noted that Musk's significant business interests in China endanger U.S. cybersecurity and create conflicts of interest that make his access to these systems a national security risk. Last year, the Biden administration blamed China for a series of intrusions targeting U.S. critical infrastructure, the theft of senior American officials' phone records, and a breach of the Treasury's own systems.

The news comes after Treasury's acting Deputy Secretary David Lebryk resigned from his position following requests from Musk's team for access to sensitive Treasury data. In a letter to Treasury employees, Lebryk stated that the Fiscal Service performs some of the most vital functions in government and that he was grateful for having been able to work alongside some of the nation's best and most talented operations staff.

Musk responded to the departure of Lebryk on his social media platform X, claiming that the DOGE team discovered that payment approval officers at Treasury were instructed to always approve payments, even to known fraudulent or terrorist groups. However, he did not provide proof of this claim.



The DOGE commission was originally headed by Musk and Ramaswamy, who jointly vowed to cut billions from the federal budget and usher in "mass headcount reductions across the federal bureaucracy." Ramaswamy has since left DOGE as he mulls a run for governor of Ohio.

In response to these developments, Wyden demanded answers from Bessent, asking whether officials associated with Musk or DOGE had requested access to the Bureau of the Fiscal Service's payment systems. He also inquired about the legal authority under which the Treasury Department granted access to any of the Fiscal Service's payment systems to officials associated with Musk or DOGE, as well as the intended changes to the system that merited such access.

Wyden also asked for a list of all officials associated with Musk or DOGE who have been granted access to the Fiscal Services Payment Systems, as well as copies of all communications between officials associated with Musk or DOGE and Treasury staff related to the Bureau of the Fiscal Service's payment systems.

The Treasury Department has not yet commented on the situation. As the investigation into Musk's DOGE commission's access to sensitive Treasury payment systems continues, it is crucial to ensure the security and integrity of these systems to protect the interests of the American people and the economy.
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