US Treasury moves to quell fears of Elon Musk taking over payments system

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The United States Treasury has tried to calm fears over Elon Musk’s access to its extensive payment system, insisting that no transactions have been canceled, despite the billionaire assertion as “shut down quickly”.

“The ongoing review of Treasury systems does not lead to the suspension or rejection of any submitted payment instructions. . . By other federal agencies across the government, ”Jonathan Blum, Chief Deputy Assistant Secretary, wrote to Congress members on Tuesday.

Blum said that members of the Treasury staff who work with Emissaries from the Government Efficiency Department (DOGE) Musk have had limited access, “read only” to the system, which pays trillions of dollars each year, including Social Security Payments.

The letter comes after Musk, whose Doge team has set themselves in the Treasury, promised over the weekend to cancel hundreds of millions of dollars unilaterally from government grants.

He claimed on his social media site that his team was suspension “illegal payments”, referring to a list of apparently federal grants to Lutheran organizations posted on -lein.

The world’s richest man, who helped the re -election campaign of Donald Trump Donald Trump, justified his access to the system earlier by claiming that his team had discovered that “payments approval officers. . . are always instructed to approve payments, even to known fraudulent or terrorist groups ”.

Ron Wyden, the world -class Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, had written to the newly placed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent demanding answers on Musk access, saying: “I can’t think of no good reason why operators Political that has shown obvious disregard for access to these sensitive, critical missionary systems on the law. “

In his response on Tuesday, Blum said a “review” of payments was being carried out by the chief executive of cloud software group Tom Krause, Emissary Doge who has now become a “special government worker”.

Krause “maintained this effort to coordinate with former career officers, and all operational processes continue to be maintained by Career Treasury staff only in accordance with all standard safety, security and privacy standards”, Blum added.

In response, Wyden said that Trump and the Treasury are trying to “humiliate the risks as Elon Musk seizes power” and claims “there is nothing they say credible or reliable”.

“The American people can see what is happening, and the Secretary Bessent asks them not to believe what is playing out right before their eyes,” added a glass.

Don Hammond, former long -lived Treasury successor, although he was unaware of the exact nature of the access given to the Doge team, said, “Inappropriate access could affect the integrity of sensitive payments and data”.

Hammond said “a non -federal employee would have no liability” for the steps they have taken in looking after the payment system. But Hammond added that “the comments in the letter if it is correct and reflected in the past”.

Additional reports from James Politi in Washington, Hannah Murphy in San Francisco and Stephen Foley in New York