President Donald Trump‘s administration has now given his billionaire adviser and Tesla CEO Elon Musk and his DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) team access to the Treasury’s federal payment system, including access to Americans’ financial and other sensitive information.
The New York Times first reported that Elon Musk’s DOGE team gained access to the Treasury’s massive federal payments system through the Donald Trump administration, leaving Social Security, Medicare, and other financial and sensitive information of the American people exposed.
Two people familiar with the situation seemed to confirm the reports with the Associated Press while requesting anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly. Amid the reports, the highest-ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) spoke out on X (formerly Twitter).
Sen. Wyden tweeted, “Sources tell my office that Treasury Secretary [Scott] Bessent has granted DOGE full access to this system. Social Security and Medicare benefits, grants, and payments to government contractors, including those that compete directly with Musk’s own companies. All of it.”
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Before his tweet, Sen. Wyden sent a letter to President Trump’s Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expressing concern that “officials associated with Musk may have intended to access these payment systems to illegally withhold payments to any number of programs.” He added, “To put it bluntly, these payment systems simply cannot fail, and any politically motivated meddling in them risks severe damage to our country and the economy.”
Additionally, the reports arrive after the Treasury’s acting Deputy Secretary David Lebryk resigned from his position after more than 30 years of service. On Friday (January 31), The Washington Post reported that Lebryk resigned after Musk and his DOGE agency requested access to sensitive Treasury data.
In a Friday-released letter, which didn’t mention DOGE’s request to access Treasury payments, Lebryk wrote, “The Fiscal Service performs some of the most vital functions in government. Our work may be unknown to most of the public, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t exceptionally important. I am grateful for having been able to work alongside some of the nation’s best and most talented operations staff.”
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On Saturday (February 1), X CEO Elon Musk responded to a tweet about David Lebryk’s resignation. He wrote, “The @DOGE team discovered, among other things, that payment approval officers at Treasury were instructed always to approve payments, even to known fraudulent or terrorist groups. They literally never denied a payment in their entire career. Not even once.”
Meanwhile, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) demanded that Congress get involved, tweeting, “It’s alarming that Elon Musk has access to government payment systems used to deliver Social Security and Medicare benefits. He also drove out the senior career official at Treasury responsible for preventing a potential default on U.S. debt. Congress must investigate.”
U.S. Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) also chimed in on X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, “If you think this is ok, something is wrong with you. Explain an unelected, unvetted, unconfirmed, individual who hasn’t been subjected to the same security clearances or higher as these civil servants have the authority to do this?! This feels as if we are being attacked from within, FULL F***ING STOP!”
Crockett continued, “In a minute, I think they are going to continuously ignore court orders that are granted against them. You see what happens, America, when you put a conman convicted felon into the White House… HE DOES NOT ABIDE BY THE LAW. It feels like y’all literally told the robber to come on in and rob us blind. Courage is not where you stand in times of comfort, but where you stand in times of discomfort… I’m ready to see some Republicans find their spines! We have to do what’s right, TOGETHER!”
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