Elon Musk’s recent involvement with the U.S. Treasury has sparked significant controversy, especially regarding access granted to young engineers working with Doge. Following the resignation of a veteran Treasury official who refused to provide this access, allegations emerged that Musk’s team could influence federal funding systems. Despite claims of ‘read-only’ access, concerns over privacy and data security have led to legal actions from public sector unions, prompting the Treasury to impose restrictions on Musk’s agents.
Elon Musk’s Controversial Influence in U.S. Treasury
Elon Musk has garnered attention for employing similar strategies across various ventures. Following his Twitter acquisition, he has seemingly applied the same demolition tactics with the newly established Department of Government Efficiency in the United States, particularly concerning Doge. Recently, a significant controversy arose when, just two weeks into his role, Donald Trump’s associate faced allegations of empowering a select group of young engineers with access to the U.S. Treasury’s payment system. Could Musk be on his way to becoming ‘the great treasurer of the United States,’ as some online users speculate? Let’s delve into the facts surrounding this situation.
Access to a Massive Financial Network
The initial warning surfaced on January 31, in an article from the esteemed New York Times. The report disclosed that David Lebryk, a veteran official at the Treasury Department, resigned after over 35 years of service. His resignation was reportedly due to his refusal to grant Doge team members access to the extensive payment system. Subsequently, his successor, newly appointed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, allegedly provided Elon Musk with this access, which could potentially facilitate a reduction in federal funding. According to the U.S. Treasury’s official website, the department managed expenditures totaling $5.45 trillion last year.
This alarming information quickly spread across various media outlets, including the Associated Press and Politico. Wired, a tech news site, went further by reporting on February 2 that it had identified at least six engineers from the Doge team, aged between 19 and 24, who claimed to have ‘gained control of the systems of other government services.’
Elon Musk has not shied away from discussing this topic on social media. On February 1, he suggested that he was aware of issues within the Treasury payment approval system, stating that agents were instructed to approve payments, even those linked to known fraudulent or terrorist entities. The following day, he accused these officials of violating the law by approving such payments consistently.
The question arises: what precisely did these agents access? The narratives diverge here. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt asserted that the documents are in ‘read-only’ mode, implying that payments ‘cannot be modified.’ Similarly, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent clarified that Doge is not ‘interfering’ with the system but rather examining it for potential improvements. However, reports from Wired contradict this, with sources claiming that engineer Marko Elez had ‘direct’ administrative access to critical Treasury Department systems.
One undeniable fact is that Elon Musk and his team now have visibility into sensitive personal data of numerous Americans, including individuals receiving social benefits, tax refunds, and federal employees. Even with read-only access, Doge agents are privy to private information, including Social Security numbers, as highlighted by Natasha Sarin, a former Treasury official.
In response to these alarming revelations, several public sector unions filed a lawsuit to safeguard worker data privacy. This legal action prompted the Trump administration to act swiftly, as Treasury Secretary Bessent issued an order limiting access to the Treasury’s payment systems. The order stipulates that Musk’s agents will not have access to payment records, with only two exceptions for specific government employees who may access files on a read-only basis.
Do you have questions or wish to report any questionable information? Don’t hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected]. You can also connect with us on X, where our team is actively engaged at @verif_TF1LCI.