US 'Spies Abroad' Could Be Exposed via Payments Accessed by DOGE: Report [View all]

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Source: Newsweek

Published Feb 08, 2025 at 5:24 AM EST | Updated Feb 08, 2025 at 9:34 AM EST


A top Treasury official is reportedly concerned that allowing employees from Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency access to the department's payments system could endanger American spies abroad. According to The Washington Post, which cites "five people with knowledge of the matter," the official raised their fears about the threat to U.S. spies in a memo sent to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Newsweek contacted the Treasury Department and CIA for comment on Saturday via email and online inquiry form respectively outside of regular office hours.

Why It Matters

Following President Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20, his close political ally, technology billionaire Elon Musk, was placed in charge of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has been tasked with slashing waste from federal spending.

On January 31, Bessent approved a request for DOGE employees to be given access to the Treasury Department's payment system, which contains trillions of dollars' worth of transactions, including Social Security checks and tax refunds. However, access was restricted to two Treasury Department employees affiliated with DOGE, Tom Krause and Marko Elez, following a legal challenge brought by two unions and an advocacy group. This access was also classed as read only.

If the Treasury official is correct, and DOGE access to their payment system risks exposing American spies abroad, it represents a clear security threat to the United States. However, critics will likely see this as an excuse for the federal bureaucracy, which they dub the "deep state," to restrict scrutiny of its work.

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/us-spies-abroad-could-exposed-via-payments-accessed-doge-report-2028231