Politico Pro: Watchdogs probe DOGE's access to Treasury payments system, Musk's fraud allegations

Two government watchdogs have opened inquiries related to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's decision to allow associates of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency team to access the federal government’s systems that control trillions of dollars of payments.

Loren Sciurba, Treasury’s acting inspector general, said in a letter to lawmakers on Thursday that the watchdog had started an audit of the "adequacy of controls" over sensitive payment systems over the past several months.

The IG will also examine "any allegations of improper or fraudulent payments" made by the Bureau of the Fiscal Service. Musk has claimed, without offering any evidence, that Treasury employees have knowingly approved payments to fraudulent organizations and terrorist groups. Sciurba said that the review of any alleged fraudulent payments would cover the two most recent fiscal years.

"Given the breadth of this effort, the audit will likely not be completed until August; however, we recognize the danger that improper access or inadequate controls can pose to the integrity of sensitive payment systems," Sciurba wrote in the letter to a group of Senate Democrats who requested the probe. "As such, if critical issues come to light before that time, we will issue interim updates and reports."

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