Billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) team have been granted access to the U.S. Treasury’s payment system, which processes over $6 trillion annually and contains personal data of millions of Americans.
This access was authorized by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent after the departure of longtime Treasury official David Lebryk, who had opposed Musk’s involvement. Lebryk was placed on administrative leave and subsequently retired.
Musk, appointed by President Donald Trump to identify government inefficiencies, has claimed without evidence that Treasury officials were approving payments to fraudulent or terrorist groups.
Senator Ron Wyden expressed concerns about this development, stating, “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.”
The Department of Government Efficiency is not an official federal agency but operates from the White House under President Trump’s directive.
Critics argue that granting a private individual like Musk access to such sensitive systems undermines established government protocols and could pose significant risks to national financial stability.
The Treasury Department has not provided further details on the extent of Musk’s access or the specific roles his team will undertake within the payment system.
