Rep. Angie Craig Demands Answers on Musk’s Access to Americans’ Sensitive, Personal Data

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Angie Craig joined 154 of her House colleagues in expressing concern about Elon Musk’s access to the federal government’s payments system that stores Americans’ sensitive personal data. In a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the lawmakers demanded answers regarding the extent of Musk’s and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staff’s access.

“This system is responsible for delivering trillions in Social Security and Medicare benefits, tax refunds, and payments to government contractors,” Rep. Craig and her colleagues wrote. “This action follows earlier reports that you removed an essential nonpartisan career Treasury official, who has played a critical role in preventing the United States from defaulting on its debt, due to his opposition to Mr. Musk’s actions.”

The federal government’s payment system is managed by the Treasury Department’s Bureau of Fiscal Service and is responsible for administering trillions annually in Social Security and Medicare benefits, tax refunds, and payments to government contractors. It contains highly sensitive details about hundreds of millions of Americans, including Social Security numbers and business financial records. 

“It is clear that Mr. Musk and his allies aim to overhaul the payments system to advance their own agenda. He has made numerous comments suggesting that the government should not fund programs that contradict his personal politics,” the lawmakers continued. “These dangerous actions reveal a blatant disregard for Mr. Musk and his allies’ conflicts of interest and threaten Americans’ national and economic security.”

A copy of the full letter can be found here.

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