Elon Musk's Team Under Fire: Government Watchdog Steps In

The US Treasury's payment system is under scrutiny. A government watchdog is launching an audit to check if Elon Musk's team, known as Doge, had inappropriate access to sensitive data. This comes after a 25-year-old associate of Musk, Marko Elez, was briefly given edit access to the system. This access was later taken away by a court order. The payment system holds personal details of millions of Americans and manages trillions of dollars for federal programs. Musk, the billionaire behind Tesla and SpaceX, was appointed by Trump to cut government spending. He has made significant changes, including canceling contracts and laying off thousands of staff. The audit, requested by Democratic senators Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden, will review the past two years of transactions. It aims to verify Musk's claims of uncovering billions in fraudulent payments. The audit is expected to take until August to complete. Meanwhile, a judge in Washington is considering a lawsuit from 14 states. The attorneys general argue that Doge's actions are illegal because Trump created the department without congressional approval. They claim Musk has too much power, entering agencies and making cuts without oversight. The lawsuit, led by New Mexico, alleges that Doge has disrupted federal agencies and caused chaos for governments and citizens. The attorneys general want the court to order Musk to reveal how any data obtained was used and to destroy any unauthorized access. Musk has faced criticism for his comments about eliminating government agencies to reduce waste. A judge in New York extended a temporary block on Doge's access to the payment system. Musk called for the judge's impeachment, while Vice-President JD Vance supported Musk's actions. Despite legal challenges, Musk's team continues to make significant cuts. Federal agency heads were ordered to fire recent hires who haven't completed their probation period, affecting about 200, 000 workers. Senator Chris Murphy called for an investigation into the legality of Musk's actions. He highlighted concerns about conflict of interest and the risk of sensitive data being accessed by private or foreign actors. Despite growing resistance, the US armed services are preparing for potential cuts. Musk's team is expected to review the Pentagon's weapons systems, with various branches volunteering to cut outdated equipment. The audit and legal battles highlight the tension between government oversight and executive power. It raises questions about the balance between efficiency and accountability in government operations.