On Friday evening, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent granted the Department of Government Efficiency full access to the federal payment system. This move allows Elon Musk and his team to monitor and influence government spending more effectively.
Controversy and personnel changes at the Treasury
The decision came after a week of tension with a senior Treasury official. This official had opposed granting Musk’s team access to the payment system, which is responsible for distributing federal funds. As a result, David Lebryk, a career civil servant, was placed on leave and retired on Friday following the dispute.
In addition, the payment system now offers the Trump administration a potential way to restrict how Congress-approved funds are distributed. However, this idea has previously faced legal challenges.
Musk, who has received significant leeway from President Donald Trump to reduce government spending, has focused on Treasury’s payment processes. He criticised the department in a social media post on Saturday, claiming it fails to reject more fraudulent or improper payments.
It remains unclear whether Musk’s team has blocked any payments since gaining access to the system.
Role and reach of the department of government efficiency
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is not an official government department. Instead, it is a task force within the administration, created by Trump at Musk’s direction. DOGE focuses on identifying opportunities to cut costs, reduce the workforce, and improve overall efficiency. Most of the team members were personally recruited by Musk and his associates.
Other DOGE teams have also started requesting access to data and systems from other federal agencies. However, none of these agencies control the flow of money in the same way the Treasury Department does.
Moreover, Bessent granted access to the payment system to several DOGE staff members, including Tom Krause, CEO of Cloud Software Group.
Historically, the Treasury has tightly controlled access to the payment system. It holds sensitive personal information about millions of Americans who receive Social Security payments, tax refunds, and other government disbursements.
