Elon Musk, the tech mogul who never shies away from shaking up entrenched systems, is now setting his sights on the bloated, inefficient, and often corrupt bureaucracy of the federal government. Using his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Musk and his team have gained unprecedented access to the U.S. Treasury’s payment system. And what they’ve uncovered is nothing short of scandalous.
In a move that will send shockwaves through Washington, Musk’s DOGE staffers have begun tracking how taxpayer money is being spent, and what they’ve found could save taxpayers billions. Their deep dive into the Treasury’s payment system has exposed a disturbing trend: payments that should never have been approved are being rubber-stamped by Treasury officials. Fraudulent payments, even to known terrorist groups, have been allowed to slip through the cracks with no accountability.
Musk called out the Treasury’s failure to protect taxpayer dollars in a post on X, where he revealed that approval officers at the Treasury were instructed to *always* approve payments, no matter how dubious. “The @DOGE team discovered, among other things, that payment approval officers at Treasury were instructed always to approve payments, even to known fraudulent or terrorist groups,” Musk wrote. “They literally never denied a payment in their entire career. Not even once.”
The @DOGE team discovered, among other things, that payment approval officers at Treasury were instructed always to approve payments, even to known fraudulent or terrorist groups.
They literally never denied a payment in their entire career.
Not even once. https://t.co/kInoGWdw4C
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 1, 2025
This revelation should come as no surprise to those familiar with the swampy nature of the federal bureaucracy. With the Treasury overseeing trillions of dollars in payments annually, it’s no wonder that Musk’s team found evidence of deep-seated inefficiency and waste. The Treasury’s failure to scrutinize these payments is the kind of bureaucratic rot that is begging for reform.
The backlash from entrenched bureaucrats has already begun. According to reports, David A. Lebryk, one of the highest-ranking Treasury officials, is resigning rather than complying with Musk’s request to audit the trillions of taxpayer dollars that flow through the system. Why would a senior official resign over a simple audit request? Perhaps because the bureaucrats fear the light being shined on their wasteful spending habits.
Musk’s revelations are drawing attention from all corners of the political spectrum. A commenter on Robby Starbuck’s post about the Treasury audit pointed out that an eye-popping $6 trillion runs through the Treasury’s payment system every year. The idea of someone with the expertise to scrutinize where that money is going—particularly someone like Elon Musk—has the Deep State running scared.
Meanwhile, Senate Finance Committee ranking Democrat Sen. Ron Wyden is claiming that Musk has been granted full access to the Treasury’s payment platform. In a post on Bluesky, the left-wing alternative to Twitter, Wyden expressed concern over Musk’s ability to access sensitive government payments, including Social Security benefits, Medicare, and payments to government contractors—some of which may compete with Musk’s own companies.
Musk, who has never been one to shy away from controversy or challenge, is relishing the opportunity to dismantle the federal bureaucracy. In a post on X, he jokingly referred to his ability to work weekends as a “superpower” in his battle against the slow-moving gears of government. “Very few in the bureaucracy actually work the weekend,” Musk wrote. “It’s like the opposing team just leaves the field for 2 days! Working the weekend is a superpower 😂”
This humor is a stark contrast to the frustrated and sluggish attitude that has characterized so much of Washington’s federal workforce. Musk’s staffers, with their laser focus and efficiency, are poised to make dramatic cuts to wasteful government spending, with some estimates suggesting that $4 billion a day could be trimmed from the budget. The Deep State never saw it coming.
Elon Musk is on a mission to drain the swamp, one payment at a time. His approach is no-nonsense and disruptive—exactly what Washington needs to rein in its unchecked spending. As Musk and his DOGE team continue to shine a light on the inner workings of the federal bureaucracy, one thing is clear: the days of unchecked government waste may soon be over.
For the first time in a long while, there’s a real chance to cut the fat and save the American taxpayer billions. And if anyone can do it, it’s Elon Musk. The Deep State won’t know what hit them.