Elon Musk’s DOGE team granted full access to US govt payment system: Report

Musk led DOGE team’s efforts to achieve full access to the system were resisted by a career civil servant at the Treasury department named David Lebryk, who was earlier placed on leave this week and thereafter retired on Friday after the dispute, according to reports.

The Times reported that on Friday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent gave Musk’s team access to the system. The Treasury department’s system sends more than $6 trillion per year in payments on behalf of federal agencies and stores information of millions of Americans who receive Social Security payments, tax refunds and other grants and relief from the US government.

US Senator from Oregon, Ron Wyden, a Democrat confirmed that Musk’s team at DOGE has received access to the Treasury department’s system.

“Sources tell my office that Treasury Secretary Bessent has granted DOGE *full* access to this system. Social Security and Medicare benefits, grants, payments to government contractors, including those that compete directly with Musk’s own companies. All of it,” said Senator Wyden as quoted by Reuters.

The New York Times reported that it wasn’t immediately clear if Musk’s team had blocked any payment related after gaining access to the system.