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Two Senate lawmakers have called for a federal investigation into reports that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent granted Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency team access to the US government’s payment systems.
Some shit you should know before you read: The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is a newly established entity operating under Elon Musk, tasked with auditing and streamlining federal operations to reduce waste and inefficiencies. While DOGE functions within the executive branch, it is not an official government agency created by Congress but rather an initiative spearheaded by the Trump administration, with Musk given significant authority over its operations. DOGE has been tasked with restructuring bureaucratic processes, cutting costs, and improving efficiency across federal agencies.
What’s going on now: In a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) called for an investigation into reports that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent granted Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team access to the federal government’s payment systems. The lawmakers expressed concerns over the security and privacy risks posed by this access, stressing that these systems process trillions of dollars in transactions annually and contain sensitive personal and financial data of millions of Americans.
They warned that such access could pose economic and national security threats, particularly if Musk’s team were to interfere with the disbursement of critical government payments, including Social Security, Medicare benefits, and tax refunds.
Warren and Wyden also raised alarms about the potential for political interference, citing reports that Musk’s team sought control over Treasury’s payment systems to cut off funding to programs that the Trump administration wished to defund. They questioned whether DOGE employees had the necessary security clearances and whether sufficient safeguards were in place to prevent data misuse or manipulation of federal funds for political purposes.
This all comes as criticism over Elon Musk’s growing influence in the federal government intensifies, with lawmakers and public officials warning about his expanding role in policymaking and government operations. Democrats have accused Musk of wielding unchecked power through DOGE, and say that his influence poses serious risks to national security, financial stability, and democratic oversight. Some have even labeled his actions a ‘hostile takeover’ of government functions, warning that his control over key financial mechanisms could be used to advance political agendas or benefit his own business interests.
