Tuesday, February 18, 2025 - Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency discovered $4.7 trillion in United States Treasury payments on an untraceable budget line.
The agency announced in a statement that the Treasury Access Symbol,
which are used to describe the account the money is linked to, was missing on a
number of payments the Treasury Department has made.
'In the federal government, the TAS field was optional for about $4.7
trillion in payments and was often left blank, making traceability almost
impossible,' DOGE posted on X.
'As of Saturday, this is now a required field, increasing insight into
where money is actually going.'
The account went on to thank the US Treasury for its help in identifying
the optional field.
The Treasury Department, which fields trillions of dollars worth of
government payments every year was one of the first departments
DOGE staffers gained access to.
It was gathered that Musk is now requesting access to a classified
IRS system that contains the personal financial records of millions of
Americans
The request, which is reportedly under review, would grant DOGE sweeping
access to IRS 'systems, property, and datasets' through a memorandum of
understanding.
Of particular concern is DOGE's potential access to the Integrated Data
Retrieval System (IDRS) - a heavily protected database used by IRS employees to
review taxpayer records, update information, and issue official notices.
Given the system's ability to retrieve personal identification numbers,
bank account details, and other sensitive financial data, IRS officials have
reportedly expressed deep reservations.
The report notes that taxpayers whose information is wrongfully reviewed
or disclosed may be entitled to financial damages, underscoring the severity of
the potential risk posed by DOGE's request.
Experts have warned that allowing political appointees access to IRS
databases is 'highly unusual,' raising concerns about potential misuse of
taxpayer data.
Nina Olson, a former taxpayer advocate, did not mince words when
addressing the potential consequences of DOGE's request.
'The information that the IRS has is incredibly personal,' she
told The Post.
'Someone with access to it could use it and make it public in a way, or
do something with it, or share it with someone else who shares it with someone
else, and your rights get violated.'
A senior Trump administration official, though, defended the move,
stating that DOGE's mission is to 'eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse,
and improve government performance to better serve the people.'
The official further insisted that the request is being conducted
'legally and with the appropriate security clearances.'
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