Elon Musk's DOGE finds $4.7 trillion in Treasury payments on untraceable budget line

 Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency discovered $4.7 trillion in United States Treasury payments on an untraceable budget line.

The agency announced in a statement that the Treasury Access Symbol, which are used to describe the account the money is linked to, was missing on a number of payments the Treasury Department has made.

'In the federal government, the TAS field was optional for about $4.7 trillion in payments and was often left blank, making traceability almost impossible,' DOGE posted on X.

 

'As of Saturday, this is now a required field, increasing insight into where money is actually going.'

 

The account went on to thank the US Treasury for its help in identifying the optional field.

 

The Treasury Department, which fields trillions of dollars worth of government payments every year was one of the first departments DOGE staffers gained access to. 

 

It was gathered that Musk is now requesting access to a classified IRS system that contains the personal financial records of millions of Americans.

 

The request, which is reportedly under review, would grant DOGE sweeping access to IRS 'systems, property, and datasets' through a memorandum of understanding. 

Of particular concern is DOGE's potential access to the Integrated Data Retrieval System (IDRS) - a heavily protected database used by IRS employees to review taxpayer records, update information, and issue official notices.

Given the system's ability to retrieve personal identification numbers, bank account details, and other sensitive financial data, IRS officials have reportedly expressed deep reservations.

 

The report notes that taxpayers whose information is wrongfully reviewed or disclosed may be entitled to financial damages, underscoring the severity of the potential risk posed by DOGE's request.

Experts have warned that allowing political appointees access to IRS databases is 'highly unusual,' raising concerns about potential misuse of taxpayer data.

 

Nina Olson, a former taxpayer advocate, did not mince words when addressing the potential consequences of DOGE's request. 

'The information that the IRS has is incredibly personal,' she told The Post. 

 

'Someone with access to it could use it and make it public in a way, or do something with it, or share it with someone else who shares it with someone else, and your rights get violated.'

A senior Trump administration official, though, defended the move, stating that DOGE's mission is to 'eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse, and improve government performance to better serve the people.' 

 

The official further insisted that the request is being conducted 'legally and with the appropriate security clearances.'