Elon Musk, co-founder of Tesla and SpaceX and owner of X Holdings Corp., speaks at the Milken Institute’s Global Conference at the Beverly Hilton Hotel,on May 6, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California. Apu Gomes/Getty Images
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has received “view-only” access to the Treasury Department’s federal payment system.
The Treasury made this announcement in a letter to Congress on Tuesday, clarifying that the review of the payment system has not caused any delays or rerouting of essential federal payments like Social Security and Medicare.
Treasury official Jonathan Blum assured lawmakers that the integrity of the payment system remains intact.
According to CBS News, Tom Krause, a technology executive from Musk’s DOGE team, is conducting a review of the system.
Krause, who has been granted top-secret security clearance, is described as a skilled CFO with extensive experience in managing company finances.
He was hired as a “special government employee” for the review, which allows him to work with Treasury officials while following relevant legal guidelines.
Despite these assurances, concerns from Democratic lawmakers have arisen. Senator Elizabeth Warren, a member of the Senate Banking Committee, expressed doubts about the transparency of the process.
“It asserts that a set of Treasury staff members have ‘read-only’ access but fails to answer questions about non-Treasury employees, like those working for Elon Musk and DOGE,” Warren stated.
Elon Musk’s DOGE Faces Backlash
The controversy surrounding DOGE’s involvement with the Treasury’s payment system escalated after Musk openly tweeted about the department’s actions on his social media platform, X (formerly known as Twitter).
Musk claimed that DOGE had shut down payments to a Lutheran charity, which raised alarm over the group’s potential influence over government spending, AP said.
The situation became even more contentious after the resignation of Treasury’s acting Deputy Secretary David Lebryk.
Lebryk, who had worked at the Treasury for over 30 years, resigned following DOGE’s request for access to sensitive Treasury data.
A lawsuit has already been filed, challenging DOGE’s involvement with the federal payment system.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the US Treasury in protest, chanting slogans like “Deport Musk” and “Down with Trump.” Protesters voiced their concern that Musk’s actions with DOGE represent a “blatant power grab.”
Democratic lawmakers are pushing for further investigation into the issue, calling for a thorough review of DOGE’s role in the federal payment process.