The Treasury Department has agreed to give Elon Musk’s DOGE access to a system that distributes entitlement benefits, grants and tax refunds to Americans each

Trump Administration Grants Musk’s Team Limited Access to Federal Payment System

The Trump administration has approved a plan allowing Treasury officials affiliated with Elon Musk’s team to access the federal payment system that processes trillions of dollars in government transactions, according to two people familiar with the situation.

Musk-Linked Officials Gain Treasury Access

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has signed off on granting access to a team led by Tom Krause, CEO of Cloud Software Group, who now works for the Treasury Department and acts as a liaison to Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) at the United States Digital Service.

One source said that while Krause’s role will allow him to view Treasury’s payment system, safeguards will prevent any ability to alter transactions, and no external individuals will have direct access.

“The secretary’s approval was contingent on it being essentially a read-only operation,” the source noted.

Internal Treasury Struggles Over Access

Treasury officials have been divided over how much access Musk and his allies should have to the sensitive system, which manages payments for Social Security, tax refunds, federal worker salaries, and government contracts.

The debate intensified after David Lebryk, a career Treasury official overseeing the department’s financial operations, abruptly resigned Friday. Sources say he clashed with Trump administration officials over granting Musk’s team access to the system.

Concerns Over Potential Political Influence

The situation has sparked a political firestorm, as Democrats fear that Musk’s allies could manipulate payments or use access for financial or political gain. Treasury has already moved to freeze funding for certain programs, alarming lawmakers who see it as an unprecedented seizure of power.

Musk defended the effort on Saturday, claiming his team’s involvement is about preventing fraud and illicit payments.

“The @DOGE team discovered, among other things, that payment approval officers at Treasury were instructed always to approve payments, even to known fraudulent or terrorist groups,” Musk posted on X. “They literally never denied a payment in their entire career. Not even once.”

Musk did not provide evidence for his claim.

Democrats Push Back

The Bureau of Fiscal Service (BFS), which operates Treasury’s payment system, has long been run by nonpartisan career officials. Former Treasury official Lily Batchelder warned against political interference:

“BFS is studiously apolitical. It is deeply concerning that political appointees in the White House would be attempting to interfere with people’s Social Security benefits and tax refunds.”

Senator Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest, noting that Musk’s allies could gain sensitive financial data that might benefit his vast business empire.

“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,” Wyden wrote to Bessent on Friday.

Despite the backlash, the Trump administration is moving ahead, further embedding Musk’s influence within key government operations.