Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is once again in the spotlight after causing a stir last week by seeking access to a sensitive system at the Treasury Department. According to two informed sources, officials affiliated with this department are expected to turn their gaze toward another restricted database next week.
The new target is a database that monitors the flow of money across the government. This includes tracking funds from the Treasury to various agencies and following through to their final destinations. Known as the Central Accounting Reporting System or CARS, this system contains sensitive information. Viewing numerous transactions toward a single destination could reveal new national security priorities for the U.S. Government. A third source, knowledgeable about the system, notes that past briefings have highlighted its potential interest to foreign intelligence agencies.
Sources indicate that Musk's affiliates are expected at the Treasury offices in Parkersburg, West Virginia, next week, prompting concern among on-site staff. This location houses many employees of the lesser-known Bureau of the Fiscal Service within the Treasury, which is responsible for managing accounting and payment systems.
Both a DOGE spokesperson and a Treasury spokesperson have not responded to requests for comment on the matter.
The CARS system aims to standardize accounting across government agencies and document money movements. However, the specific interest of the DOGE team remains unclear. Historically, when government auditors have reviewed the system, the Treasury insisted such reviews be conducted in secure environments or on specialized laptops of the Fiscal Service.
The actions of DOGE at the Treasury have recently drawn congressional scrutiny and triggered a federal court battle. Initially, Musk's team attempted to stop the flow of funds to the U.S. Agency for International Development from the Treasury’s payment system, leading to the retirement of a veteran career official who resisted these demands. Recently, The Washington Post reported that one DOGE-affiliated executive, Tom Krause, a tech professional from Silicon Valley, will replace the retired official, giving him authority over the Bureau of the Fiscal Service's payment and accounting systems.
In response, federal workers' unions sought judicial intervention, leading to a judge's ruling on Thursday limiting Musk's team's access to read-only capabilities. Despite this, Senator Ron Wyden expressed concerns that the Treasury may have misled lawmakers about the extent of DOGE's system access, emphasizing reports that a DOGE staffer had "read-write" privileges for several days.
On Thursday, one of the two Musk-affiliated officials involved in probing the Treasury's systems resigned due to revelations by The Wall Street Journal about racist social media posts linked to him. These posts included statements such as "I was racist before it was cool" and controversial comments on Gaza and Israel.
It remains unclear if this resignation will impact the planned visit to West Virginia. However, by Friday morning, Musk was active on X, discussing the possibility of reinstating the staffer, with Vice President JD Vance supporting the idea and downplaying the severity of past social media activity. Meanwhile, at a press conference, former President Trump acknowledged the situation but backed Vance's stance.
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