Treasury Department officials have revealed that Elon Musk’s aides detailed to the agency have been granted “read-only” access to its sensitive $5 trillion US payments system. The information was shared in a letter to lawmakers, which marks the first public acknowledgment of the role held by Tom Krause, CEO of Cloud Software Group and a key figure in the DOGE-connected team.
Krause, who has ties to cryptocurrency Dogecoin, had been pushing for access to the payment systems and clashed with career Treasury officials over the request. He was eventually granted access, which he now uses to conduct an “operational efficiency assessment” of the Fiscal Service’s payment systems.
Despite concerns raised by career officials, including a temporary placement on administrative leave for David Lebryk, the bureau leader who led the agency while Musk’s aide awaited Senate confirmation, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent granted Krause access to “coded data” with “read-only” capabilities.
The letter also confirms that Krause has joined Treasury as a special government employee, subject to strict security and ethical requirements. The review of payment systems is being conducted in collaboration with veteran career Treasury officials, and all operational processes continue to be conducted by career staff according to standard security protocols.
This development comes amid growing concerns about the access granted to Musk’s team and the potential impact on federal payments. In recent days, lawmakers and former government officials have expressed worries about the sensitive nature of the payment systems, which are closely held and critical to federal operations.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/04/politics/treasury-payments-system-musk-doge-access/index.html