Treasury Department gives Elon Musk's team access to federal pay system to audit government spending

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent authorized members of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to access the federal payments system, allowing Elon Musk and his group to monitor and potentially limit government spending.

The decision comes after an internal controversy at Treasury, when David Lebryk, a senior official who had overseen the payments system for years was placed on leave and later announced his retirement from his post. His departure was reportedly related to his refusal to agree to a DOGE request for an audit of trillions of dollars in annual federal spending.

Later, Elon Musk, a central figure in the Department of Government Efficiency, noted that DOGE discovered that those responsible for approving payments at Treasury had never turned down a request, even when the funds went to known fraudulent or terrorist groups. Musk claimed that "they literally never denied a payment in their entire career."

A step toward transparency and efficiency

The Treasury's payment system manages the distribution of government funds, including Social Security, tax refunds and other essential disbursements. Until now, its control had been exclusively in the hands of career government officials.

The access granted to DOGE provides the Trump administration with an additional tool to tighten control over federal payments and ensure that funds are used in accordance with the government's established criteria of efficiency and transparency. Musk has repeatedly expressed concern about overspending and noted the importance of avoiding payments deemed unnecessary or fraudulent.