A senior U.S. lawmaker raises concerns over Elon Musk’s access to a sensitive U.S. Treasury payments system, citing it as a potential national security risk. Senator Ron Wyden disclosed that Musk’s team, known as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), was granted authorization to access the system, which disperses trillions of dollars annually to Americans. This access includes Social Security and Medicare benefits, grants, and payments to government contractors. The New York Times reported that Treasury secretary Scott Bessent granted DOGE access to the system, with one of the representatives being Tom Krause, the CEO of Cloud Software Group. Wyden expressed worries over Musk’s extensive business dealings in China, highlighting potential cybersecurity risks and conflicts of interest. Musk’s team is also reportedly scrutinizing other federal departments, such as the Office of Personnel Management, raising further concerns over data security and national security risks.
