Treasury defends Muskhold’s access to federal payment system

The Treasury Department said on Tuesday that it did not stop or reject federal expenses and that it was obliged to protect the country’s payment system by widespread setback after Elon Musk’s so -called Department of Government Efficiency gained access to the system.

In a letter to members of Congress, the Ministry of Finance said it conducted a review of the system to “maximize payment integrity” for agencies and the public. It described the initiative as an extension of a review that had started during the Biden administration.

“Treasury has no higher obligation than managing the government’s economy on behalf of the US people, and its payment system is critical of this process,” wrote Jonathan Blum, an official of the legislative affairs of the Treasury Department.

Treasury secretary Scott Bessent has not yet commented on the situation. The letter was the first public comment from the department since the case appeared last week after the sudden resignation of David Lebrik, a career official who did not approve Mr. Musk’s team that gained access to the data.

The letter was sent as what seemed to be hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Treasury Department to express their opposition to Mr. Musk’s commitment to the federal payment system.

Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Ron Wyden of Oregon, the supreme Democrats of the banking and finance committees, on Tuesday called on the government’s responsibility office to start an investigation into Mr. Musk’s access to the payment system.

“The process that Mr. Musk’s team gained access to these systems is worrying – just like the implications, ”they wrote.

Critics are concerned that Mr. Musk and Trump administration want to stop payments approved by Congress. There is also concern for data protection, Mr. Musk’s potential conflicts of interest and the possibility of federal funds being abused below a standoff across the debt limit that could lead to a US breach.

The Treasury Department said in the letter that an official named Tom Krause worked on an “operational efficiency” assessment of the coded data from fiscal services’ payment systems.

The letter said Mr. Krause, who is affiliated with Mr. Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency Team, worked on the initiative with Treasury Career staff and that he had the necessary security explanations to perform the role.

“Treasury will continue its efforts to promote efficiency and efficiency in its operations and to prevent waste, fraud and abuse,” Mr. Blum.