U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts blasts Treasury Secretary for granting Elon Musk/DOGE access to sensitive personal information of millions of Americans

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs (BHUA) and member of the Senate Finance Committee, wrote to the Secretary of the Department of the Treasury (Treasury), Scott Bessent, with extreme concern following reporting that, in one of his first acts as Secretary, Elon Musk and his associates were given “full access” to the federal government’s critical payment systems, which includes the sensitive personal information of millions of Americans.

Warren states that the New York Times reported that, before President Trump’s inauguration, Musk and his team at the Department of Government Efficiency began demanding access to the sensitive payment systems that are used by the federal government to disburse trillions of dollars every year and are essential to preventing a default on federal debt. Warren says that controlling these systems could allow the Trump Administration to “unilaterally”—and illegally—cut off payments for millions of Americans, putting at risk the financial security of families and businesses based on political favoritism or the whims of Musk and those on his team who have worked their way inside.

“The public depends on the integrity of those systems, which control the flow of over $6 trillion in payments to American families, businesses, and other recipients every year,” wrote Senator Warren. Given the highly sensitive nature of the information in these systems, control over them is typically limited to a small number of career officials. 

Reporting by the Washington Post indicates that Secretary Bessent personally sidelined David Lebryk, who Warren says is a key official responsible for managing the extraordinary measures the Treasury is taking to avoid a default on U.S. debt. Warren states that the move risks a global financial meltdown that would cost trillions of dollars and millions of jobs. 

The loss of Mr. Lebryk’s expertise comes at a time when the Treasury is already taking extraordinary measures to prevent a catastrophic debt default. “The Fiscal Assistant Secretary – unlike the amateurs you have empowered in forcing him out – was well-prepared to manage these kinds of crises,” said Senator Warren. 

“The American people deserve answers about your role in this mismanagement, which threatens the privacy and economic security of every American,” concluded Senator Warren. 

Senator Warren asked Secretary Bessent to provide clarity on his role in providing Musk and his team access to Treasury payment systems, along with his role in ousting Lebryk from the Treasury Department, by February 7, 2025.