A minority press release from the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs reports that the Treasury Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) have agreed to investigate Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s reported decision to grant employees of Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” access to sensitive federal government payment systems. The Treasury Inspector General said it expects to begin fieldwork immediately and flagged risks to the integrity of sensitive payment systems from improper access or inadequate controls. GAO confirmed it has accepted the lawmakers’ request to review reports of “unprecedented access” to the payment systems, following what the release describes as Treasury’s failure to provide complete and accurate information about who had access, how access was granted, and why it was granted; the release also points to court filings that it says suggest Treasury may have mischaracterized the scope of access and associated operational risks. The lawmakers’ requests ask the Treasury Inspector General to examine whether any laws, regulations, or policies were violated, including around conflicts of interest and the confidentiality and handling of sensitive personal information. GAO is asked to determine which systems were accessed, which individuals had access and whether they had appropriate clearances, and whether guardrails are in place to protect economic and national security and Americans’ privacy.

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