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Department of Government Efficiency, run by Elon Musk, has gained access to sensitive Treasury data including Social Security and Medicare customer payment systems
Elon Musk
US President Donald Trump’s billionaire adviser and Tesla CEO Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency has gained access to sensitive Treasury data including Social Security and Medicare customer payment systems, according to sources.
The latest move by DOGE means it may now have broad authority to access key taxpayer data among other things. Trump, in his second administration, established a task force DOGE which has been assigned to discover ways to fire federal workers, cut programs, and slash federal regulations.
Elon Musk, who is solely heading the department, said that his team has found out that the officers at the Treasury had instructions to “always approve” payments, “even to known terrorist groups”.
“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,” Musk posted on X, without giving any proof of his claim.
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. https://t.co/kInoGWdw4C
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 1, 2025
DOGE’s Access To Sensitive Data
According to a New York Times report, the DOGE gained access to the massive federal payment system.
The issue was flagged by highest-ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, Ron Wyden who, on Friday, wrote to Trump’s Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and expressed concerns that “officials associated with Musk may have intended to access these payment systems to illegally withhold payments to any number of programmes”.
“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,” he said.
This comes after Treasury’s acting Deputy Secretary David Lebryk resigned from his position at Treasury after over 30 years of service.
According to The Washington Post, Lebryk stepped down from his position after Musk and his DOGE requested access to sensitive Treasury data.
“The Fiscal Service performs some of the most vital functions in government,” Lebryk said in a letter to Treasury employees on Friday.
“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, he added, however, did not mention a DOGE request to access Treasury payments.
(With PTI inputs)
