(NewsNation) — Current and former officials have been raising the alarm after a team led by Elon Musk was granted access to the Treasury’s payment systems, which include sensitive data on millions of Americans.
The White House says that Musk, a South African tech billionaire, has a security clearance to access the system; however, the agency typically restricts access to a very small number of senior personnel because of the sensitivity of the information.
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What is DOGE?
President Donald Trump created the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) through an executive order, renaming what was previously the Office of Digital Services and moving the office to be under the Executive Office of the President from the Office of Management and Budget, where it was previously located.
The office is tasked with modernizing government technology, and Trump has also directed Musk, who heads DOGE, to review finances.
Why has DOGE been controversial?
DOGE has been controversial from the start. Though it is not an agency or a Cabinet-level position, it has been treated similarly. Because it is not an agency, Musk has not had to go through a Senate confirmation hearing that would typically be required for someone at that level of power.
The White House has classified Musk as a special government employee with a limited contract, which means he is exempt from certain regulations regarding financial disclosure and transparency.
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DOGE has also made unilateral changes to certain agencies, most notably USAID. The organization is responsible for providing humanitarian assistance abroad, and after accessing systems, DOGE put the majority of employees on administrative leave, recalled those stationed overseas and blocked staff from accessing the Washington, D.C., office.
Musk and Trump have alleged the agency is “criminal” and a “fraud” though there has been no evidence offered to back up any of those claims.
What information does DOGE have access to?
The Treasury Department’s payment system includes the systems that control money for federal grants, payments for Social Security and Medicare, tax information and payments to government contractors.
That means DOGE employees have access to the Social Security numbers of millions of Americans, along with sensitive tax information and banking accounts for direct deposit.
Trump and Musk have maintained that DOGE is conducting a financial audit. However, audits do not typically include (or require) direct access to the payment system. Trump also fired the inspector general whose role includes auditing government programs and who has extensive experience doing so.
What could DOGE do with that information?
The Trump administration claims Musk has read-only access to the system, but critics have still raised the alarm about what Musk could do.
What happens if the Department of Education is abolished?
Theoretically, with access to the payment system, DOGE could cut off any payments it or the president decides should be cut. That could range from broad moves, like cutting off the funds for school lunch programs, or granular ones, like deciding which individual Americans should or should not recieve Social Security payments.
DOGE also has access to information on government contractors, including a “Do Not Pay” list that prevents ineligible individuals or companies from receiving federal funds.
Headed by Musk, whose companies are heavily subsidized by government funds, DOGE could blacklist his competitors and make them ineligible for contracts or remove companies owned by his allies that are currently blacklisted.
