The U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs published a letter from Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren, joined by Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden and Senate Appropriations’ Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee Ranking Member Jack Reed, pressing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for an explanation after court documents suggested Treasury misrepresented the access Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) personnel had to Treasury payment systems and Americans’ personal information. The lawmakers cited inconsistencies between Treasury’s public descriptions and the court filings, including claims that DOGE personnel could modify system coding and planned to use Treasury systems to help pause payments by other agencies. They also challenged Treasury’s characterization of who was reviewing the systems and the nature of the engagement, pointing to a 25-year-old programmer who resigned after racist social media posts went viral and describing the access arrangement as unusual, with career staff working to mitigate risks to system integrity. The letter calls for a clear, complete, and public accounting of who accessed the systems, what they were doing, and why.
U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs 2025-02-13
U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs ranking member demands Treasury answers on DOGE access to sensitive payment systems
The U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs released a letter from Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren and others, questioning Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent about alleged misrepresentations regarding Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) personnel's access to Treasury payment systems. The letter highlights inconsistencies between Treasury's public statements and court documents, including claims of system coding modifications and unusual access arrangements. Lawmakers demand transparency on system access and activities.