United States Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden have called for an investigation into Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent's decision to grant Elon Musk and other employees of the "Department of Government Efficiency" access to critical government payment systems. These systems process trillions in transactions annually, including Social Security checks, tax refunds, and Medicare benefits.
Senator Warren questioned Secretary Bessent about his role in granting this access and the removal of David Lebryk, a top career official who raised concerns. Senator Wyden also questioned Bessent following news of Lebryk's ouster.
The senators highlighted potential threats to economic and national security due to meddling with these systems. They control over $6 trillion in payments each year and contain sensitive personal information about millions of Americans. It remains unclear why Musk and his team were given access or what measures are in place to protect privacy.
Warren and Wyden have directed the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate which systems were accessed, who has access, whether they have appropriate clearances, and if safeguards exist for economic security and privacy protection.
Concerns were also raised about Musk’s conflicts of interest. X announced a partnership with Visa on a new payment system, raising questions about possible misuse of information obtained through this access. Additionally, Tesla's ties to China pose potential national security risks related to individuals with system access.