Propublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates power abuse. Sign up and receive the biggest story as soon as it’s published.
After creating a fuss to demand access to the Treasury’s delicate system last week, officials from Elon Musk’s government efficiency said they were seconded next week, according to two people with knowledge of the plan. It is expected that attention will be focused on a restricted database.
Sources say the new target is a database that tracks the flow of money across the government, from the government-wide, from the Treasury Department to specific agencies and the ultimate destination of funding.
Data within a system known as the Central Accounting Reporting System or CARS is considered sensitive. For example, many transactions flowing in the same place can suggest a new national security priority for the US government. People working with the system have previously explained that databases could be of interest to foreign intelligence reporting agencies, a third source familiar with the system said.
Musk affiliates are expected to arrive at the Treasury Department in Parkersburg, West Virginia next week, urging concerns among staff, according to two sources. The office is home to numerous staff members who work for the previously vague bureau of Finance Services, part of the Ministry of Finance, which manages accounting and payment systems.
A Doge spokesman did not immediately respond to requests for comment. None of the Treasury spokesmen did.
The automobile is intended to standardize accounting across government agencies and explain how money is transported. It is unclear what the Doge team’s interest in the Doge team’s system is. When government auditors looked into the system in the past, the Treasury promoted them to do it on laptops in safe environments or financial services.
Doge’s previous actions at the Treasury Department have been the focus of recent Congressional scrutiny and federal court battles. Musk’s team initially tried to stop money going to the US for international development from the Treasury payment system.
A veteran career manager within the Treasury Department was pushed back and then retired in the face of demands. On Friday morning, The Washington Post reported that Silicon Valley Tech executive Tom Kraus, one of the staff members of Doji who were involved in the standoff, will replace a resigned career official. Payment and accounting systems for services.
The federal workers’ union took the matter to court, and on Thursday the judge temporarily restricted Musk’s teams for read-only access.
The Treasury has assured Congress that staff members belonging to Doge have read-only privileges on the payment system, but Sen. Ron Wyden of D-RORE may have misunderstood the deputies. raises concerns and cites a report from Wired from Doge. Staff received “read and write” access for several days. “The Treasury, which refused to provide a straight answer about Doge’s actions, only strengthens my suspicions because its refusal to provide briefings requested by several Senate committees,” Wyden said on Friday. He said in a statement.
Memory Holling January 6th: What happens when you try to erase history?
One of two Musk officials investigating the Treasury system resigned on Thursday after the Wall Street Journal discovered racist posts on social media accounts linked to him. I did.
The posts include “I was racist before it turned cool” and “I wouldn’t mind at all if Gaza and Israel were both wiped out of the surface of the earth.”
It is not clear which staff will be making a trip to West Virginia and whether their resignation will affect those plans. By Friday morning, Musk had posted to X about getting staff back, with Vice President JD Vance saying, “I don’t think stupid social media activities should ruin a child’s life.” At a press conference, Trump said he was not familiar with the situation but supported Vance’s take.
Is there any information about Doge and the Trump administration’s Treasury Department’s moves? Robert Faturechi can be contacted by email [email protected] By signal 213-271-7217 or WhatsApp. Justin Elliott can be contacted by email [email protected] Or by Signal or WhatsApp on 774-826-6240.
Alex Mierjeski contributed to his research.
