Democrats ask for an investigation into DOGE’s access to Treasury’s payment systems

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic lawmakers are seeking a Treasury Department investigation of the access that Elon Musk’s team was given to the government’s payment system, citing "threats to the economy and national security, and the potential violation of laws protecting Americans' privacy and tax data."

The lawmakers sent letters Friday to Treasury’s deputy inspector general and the acting inspector general for tax administration, as well as to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, that laid out their concerns over a lack of transparency and public accountability about the access being granted to the federal government’s financial plumbing.

The payments system handles trillions of dollars over the course of a year, including tax refunds, Social Security benefits and much more. That raises questions about whether the review by the tech billionaire Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is legal, according to the drafts of the letters obtained by The Associated Press.

The lead writers of the letters, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., have sounded multiple alarms about a review that largely remains shrouded from public scrutiny.

Democrats’ efforts to push back against spending cuts that President Donald Trump is seeking through DOGE could lead to a Washington showdown with possible broader repercussions. Any breakdown in the system could mean missed payments to people or even the sharing of sensitive personal data.

In their letter to Bessent, they say the secretary has "deflected and avoided key questions” so far and "provided information that appears to be flatly contradicted by new public reports."

A letter of this nature would typically be sent to Treasury's inspector general. However, Trump's recent firing of about 17 independent inspectors general at government agencies leaves an oversight hole.

The Treasury Department has maintained that the review is merely about assessing the integrity of the system and that no changes to it are being made. But according to two people familiar with the process, Musk’s team began its inquiry looking for ways to suspend payments made by the U.S. Agency for International Development, which Trump and Musk are attempting to shutter.

Separately, labor unions and advocacy groups have sued to block the payments system review from proceeding because of concerns about its legality. U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on Thursday restricted DOGE's read-only access of Treasury’s payment systems.

Also signing the letters were Democratic Sens. Ruben Gallego of Arizona, Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Raphael Warnock of Georgia and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island.