US treasury says Elon Musk's DOGE team has 'read only' access to payments data

The US Treasury said on Tuesday that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team can view data from its payment system but cannot make changes. This statement came after Democratic lawmakers raised concerns and called for an investigation.
Musk is leading US President Donald Trump’s federal cost-cutting efforts under the DOGE. As part of this effort, he reportedly pushed for a team led by IT executive Tom Krause to have access to the Treasury’s payment system, which processes transactions like Social Security, Medicare payouts, and federal salaries.
As per the news agency AFP, Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden sent a letter to the congressional watchdog agency, asking for an investigation into reports that treasury secretary Scott Bessent personally approved access for Musk and his team.
In a letter to Congress, the Treasury confirmed that Krause’s team has access to the system but only in a "read-only" capacity for an operational efficiency assessment. The Treasury said this is "similar to the kind of access that Treasury provides to individuals reviewing Treasury systems, such as auditors."
Musk’s cost-cutting plan has faced opposition from Democratic lawmakers, who have raised legal and ethical concerns.
In a separate letter to Trump, other Democratic policymakers voiced concerns about DOGE’s work related to government data and facilities.
Labour unions and a grassroots advocacy group have also objected. They filed a lawsuit asking a federal judge to declare it illegal for Musk or DOGE to access taxpayer information and to block the Treasury from allowing it.
On X, the social media platform he owns, Musk said Monday that the "only way to stop fraud and waste of taxpayer money is to follow the payment flows and pause suspicious transactions for review."

According to the lawsuit, Bessent approved Musk’s access after a career official refused and was placed on administrative leave. The official later retired.