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
