Elon Musk criticised the U.S. Treasury Department for allegedly approving payments to fraudulent and terrorist groups, as reports emerged that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been granted access to the federal payment system.
Musk, who chairs DOGE, claimed that Treasury officials were instructed to approve all payments without scrutiny.
Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reportedly gave DOGE personnel access to the system, which handles approximately $6 trillion in federal payments annually.
This revelation has sparked political controversy, with Senate Finance Committee ranking Democrat Ron Wyden warning that DOGE now has control over Social Security, Medicare, and payments to government contractors, including those competing with Musk’s businesses.
DOGE’s access follows internal disputes within the Treasury Department, with former acting director David A. Lebryk reportedly stepping down after resisting the move.
Additionally, reports suggest DOGE locked civil servants out of federal HR systems.
Created by an executive order on Trump’s first day in office, DOGE was designed to eliminate government inefficiencies and overspending.
Since its inception, it has claimed to cut $1 billion from federal expenditures. Musk and Trump have long championed the initiative, arguing that unchecked government spending drives inflation.
Musk mocked bureaucrats for not working weekends, emphasising DOGE’s mission to reform federal spending, though critics are raising concerns over its broad authority and transparency.
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.
They literally never denied a payment in their entire career.
Not even once. https://t.co/kInoGWdw4C
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 1, 2025
NZ needs a DOGE.
Desperately.
It wasn’t mentioned: The person in charge (who also resigned) was a Nigerian immigrant and former president of the Obama foundation. 🤔
DOGE will cut US federal government expenditure but will also cut corruption.
They have already found USAID giving money to NGOs, something which is used to “get around” laws that the Senate has passed and allowing NGOs to do (with government money) what the US government is not allowed to do by law.
Like the Q says, “Follow the money”. Now that Elon has access to the secure side of the OPM servers’ things are getting very interesting.
Elon and his team are doing a great job here.
Peado Guy Musk, mouth-piece of th world.
(Musk announced that Peado Guy is a term of endearment, BTW).
Yeah, thanks for ya effort to let us know
duh
Sounds like you need it!
New Zealand Needs its very own DOGE…c’mon Mr Luxon….. !!!!