The Trump White House has agreed to temporarily limit the access of most staff from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to the U.S. Treasury Department’s payment systems. This decision follows concerns over the team’s involvement in managing sensitive government payments.
DOGE, a group aimed at cutting federal spending, was believed to have direct access to the Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service, which handles almost all U.S. government payments. But now, most DOGE employees will be blocked from accessing these systems, according to a motion filed by the Department of Justice.
However, there are two exceptions to this restriction. Marko Elez, 25, and Tom Krause, two staffers at DOGE, will still be able to access the systems, but only in a limited “read-only” capacity. This means they can review payment records but cannot make changes.
While this may seem like a small concession, the fact that these two individuals are still granted any form of access raises serious concerns. Critics argue that even “read-only” access could pose a risk, as it would give them an opportunity to potentially alter the system’s operations or delay payments if given the opportunity. What’s more alarming is that, despite the current restrictions, Elez and Krause could be in a position to write code into the system, which could block payments or, in the worst-case scenario, facilitate the unauthorized transfer of large sums of money to any entity they are instructed to.
The decision comes after the Justice Department agreed to a motion limiting DOGE’s access, which still needs to be approved by U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. The filing clearly states that no one from DOGE will be allowed to access the payment records or systems of the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, except for Elez and Krause, as needed for their roles.
This move follows a lawsuit filed by three federal employee unions, which is trying to stop DOGE from having access to these sensitive systems. The lawsuit claims the sharing of such data is “unlawful” and that it could lead to unnecessary interference in how the government processes payments.
The issue first came to light when Scott Bessent, the incoming Treasury Secretary, granted access to DOGE’s team to look at payment records, The Washington Post reports. According to the complaint, Bessent allowed people who aren’t directly involved in financial transactions to access the Bureau’s records, which critics say is illegal.
One of the key figures in this controversy is Marko Elez, a 25-year-old engineer who previously worked for Musk’s companies. Sources told Wired that Elez had both “read and write” access to two major payment systems used to process trillions of dollars in federal payments, including Social Security benefits and tax returns. This raised concerns that DOGE could potentially block or delay payments to federal agencies or individuals, or worse, transfer vast sums of money to unauthorized recipients.
In response, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified that DOGE staffers are not allowed to make changes to the code of these systems. However, the fact that Elez and Krause still have access to such a critical infrastructure – even in a limited form – leaves room for potentially dangerous misuse.
Elez, who graduated from Rutgers University in 2021, has worked at SpaceX and X (formerly Twitter). Despite his technical experience, he has no known background in government work. According to sources, Elez had been granted administrator-level access to the Bureau’s payment systems, which manage crucial government functions.
Critics also point out that Musk appears to be placing young staffers in key positions within DOGE. Some of these employees are reportedly between the ages of 19 and 24, which raises concerns about their qualifications and potential influence on important government operations.
