US Treasury Secretary Vetted Elon Musk's Team for Access to Government Data

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that he personally vetted a senior Treasury employee on Elon Musk's government efficiency team. The individual granted read-only access to federal payment data, but Bessent emphasized that "there's been no 'tinkering' with the department's payment systems."

Musk's Team: Highly Trained Professionals

"It is an operational review. It is not an ideological review," Bessent stated. "The ability to change the system sits over at the Federal Reserve."

Bessent expressed trust in Musk's team, describing them as "highly trained professionals" and a "methodical" group that will "yield big savings." He highlighted that the team consists of two Treasury employees, one of whom (Tom Krause) underwent a final round interview with Bessent.

Wall Street Journal's Report

Following Bessent's interview with Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal reported that a second DOGE staffer with access to Treasury payment systems had resigned due to ties to a social media account promoting racism and eugenics. The White House confirmed the resignation.

DOGE's Scrutiny of Government Spending

The Department of Government Efficiency, led by Musk, has focused on identifying wasteful spending and modernizing federal technology. Since President Trump's inauguration, DOGE has overseen efforts such as offering buyouts to civilian federal retirees, canceling government contracts, and even dismantling the US Agency for International Development.

IRS and DOGE

Bessent indicated that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) would be largely exempt from DOGE's cost-cutting measures until after the April 15 filing deadline. However, trillions of dollars in federal payments pass through Treasury annually, granting DOGE access to sensitive information about taxpayers, beneficiaries, contractors, and employees.

Concerns over Musk's Business Interests

Members of Congress, federal employee unions, and privacy advocates have raised concerns about Musk's access to government data due to his vast business interests. Musk is the CEO of SpaceX, which holds billions in federal contracts, and Tesla Inc., regulated by multiple government agencies.

Musk's Social Media Claims

In posts on his social media platform, Musk has claimed the ability to halt federal payments. However, Bessent clarified that DOGE's read-only access does not provide that authority, as most payments are managed by federal departments and agencies.

Treasury's Long-Standing Position

The Treasury Department has consistently maintained that it cannot prioritize or halt payments authorized by agencies.

"I think there are gigantic cost savings for the American people here," Bessent concluded. "This DOGE program is one of the most important audits of government or changes to government structure that we have seen."