WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Government Efficiency, run by President Donald Trump's billionaire adviser and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, has gained access to sensitive Treasury data including Social Security and Medicare customer payment systems, according to two people familiar with the situation.
The move by DOGE, a Trump administration task force assigned to find ways to fire federal workers, cut programs and slash federal regulations, means it could have wide leeway to access important taxpayer data, among other things.
The New York Times first reported the news of the group's access of the massive federal payment system. The two people who spoke to The Associated Press spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
The highest-ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, Ron Wyden of Oregon, on Friday sent a letter to Trump's Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expressing concern that “officials associated with Musk may have intended to access these payment systems to illegally withhold payments to any number of programs.”
“To put it bluntly, these payment systems simply cannot fail, and any politically motivated meddling in them risks severe damage to our country and the economy," Wyden said.
The news also comes after Treasury's acting Deputy Secretary David Lebryk resigned from his position at Treasury after more than 30 years of service. The Washington Post on Friday reported that Lebryk resigned his position after Musk and his DOGE organization requested access to sensitive Treasury data.
“The Fiscal Service performs some of the most vital functions in government," Lebryk said in a letter to Treasury employees sent out Friday. “Our work may be unknown to most of the public, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t exceptionally important. I am grateful for having been able to work alongside some of the nation’s best and most talented operations staff.”
The letter did not mention a DOGE request to access Treasury payments.
Musk on Saturday responded to a post on his social media platform X about the departure of Lebryk: “The @DOGE team discovered, among other things, that payment approval officers at Treasury were instructed always to approve payments, even to known fraudulent or terrorist groups. They literally never denied a payment in their entire career. Not even once."
He did not provide proof of this claim.
DOGE was originally headed by Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who jointly vowed to cut billions from the federal budget and usher in “mass headcount reductions across the federal bureaucracy.”
Ramaswamy has since left DOGE as he mulls a run for governor of Ohio.
FILE - Elon Musk speaks at an indoor Presidential Inauguration parade event in Washington, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
PARIS (AP) — Ousmane Dembélé came off the bench to score twice and help a shaky Paris Saint-Germain win 4-1 at Rennes on Saturday to stay unbeaten in Ligue 1.
Bradley Barcola got one goal and set up another as PSG moved 16 points ahead of second-placed Marseille, which hosted Lens later Saturday.
PSG coach Luis Enrique rested captain Marquinhos ahead of the return leg at Liverpool in the last 16 of the Champions League next Tuesday. PSG lost the first leg 1-0 despite dominating.
Dembélé was joined on the bench by right back Achraf Hakimi, winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
PSG controlled the first half but made many mistakes after the break as Rennes attacked strongly, before Dembélé wrapped up the win late on.
Barcola put PSG ahead in the 28th minute when he placed the ball through goalkeeper Brice Samba's legs. Ludovic Blas almost equalized moments later and 17-year-old striker Mohamed Meïté headed against the crossbar.
Barcola broke down the left again and picked out striker Gonçalo Ramos in the 50th for 2-0. Three minutes later, sloppy defending allowed defender Lilian Brassier to pull one back and it galvanized Rennes, which came close to equalizing several times.
An awful mistake from PSG defender Lucas Beraldo saw him pass to Meïté, giving him an easy chance from six meters. But the young striker hesitated to shoot with his weaker left foot and his tame shot with his right was blocked.
Dembélé's stoppage-time brace took him this season to 20 league goals for the first time.
Canada striker Jonathan David moved onto 14 league goals after scoring in Lille's hard-fought 1-0 win against rock-bottom Montpellier.
The win moved fifth-placed Lille level on 44 points with Monaco, which is ahead on goal difference, in the race for one of the four Champions League spots.
All the players had “WO=MAN” written on the back of their jerseys instead of their names as part of the French league's initiative centered around International Women’s Day.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
PSG's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia takes the ball during the French League One soccer match between Rennes and Paris Saint-Germain at Roazhon Park stadium in Rennes, France, Saturday March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthieu Mirville)
PSG's Bradley Barcola, second right, celebrates with his teammates his opening goal during the French League One soccer match between Rennes and Paris Saint-Germain at Roazhon Park stadium in Rennes, France, Saturday March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthieu Mirville)
PSG's Bradley Barcola, left, reacts after scoring the opening goal during the French League One soccer match between Rennes and Paris Saint-Germain at Roazhon Park stadium in Rennes, France, Saturday March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthieu Mirville)
PSG's Lucas Hernandez, left, wearing a jersey for International Women's Day during the French League One soccer match between Rennes and Paris Saint-Germain at Roazhon Park stadium in Rennes, France, Saturday March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthieu Mirville)
