Elon Musk and His Engineers, One of Whom Is 19, Are Accessing Classified Government Intel and Americans' Private Info

Mar. 15, 2025

Elon Musk.Photo:Kenny Holston-Pool/Getty

Kenny Holston-Pool/Getty

Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency staff are gaining sweeping access to sensitive government information and private details about millions of Americans.

Six engineers between the ages of 19 and 24 are at the center of Musk’s DOGE team, according to a newWIREDreport. The outlet reports that the young men have little to no government experience but are now being tasked with helping execute PresidentDonald Trump’sorderto “[modernize] Federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity.”

WIRED says that among Musk’s pool of engineers, at least one is still in college and another is a volunteer. At least two of the others have been linked toopenly anti-democracybillionaire Peter Thiel, a tech investor and entrepreneur.

“What we’re seeing is unprecedented in that you have these actors who are not really public officials gaining access to the most sensitive data in government,” said Don Moynihan, professor of public policy at the University of Michigan, in an interview with WIRED.

Elon Musk.Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Gett

Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Gett

CNNreported on Feb. 2 that DOGE staff tried to improperly obtain classified information at the U.S. Agency for International Development. Those at USAID who resisted the effort, concerned about DOGE workers' security clearances, were placed on leave soon afterwards.

The Associated Pressconfirmed that DOGE staff were able to ultimately access the material they sought, which contained intelligence reports.

DOGE has worked to infiltrate other federal agencies as well. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently handed DOGE representatives the keys to the federal payment system, which acts as a checkbook for the entire U.S. government and contains sensitive data about hundreds of millions of Americans, according toABC News.

Before Bessent intervened, a career official at the Treasury Department had resisted requests to provide Musk’s associates with access to the payment system, which has very few authorized users. The official was placed on leave for pushing back and announced his retirement shortly after.

Scott Bessent, Donald Trump’s pick for treasury secretary, at his Jan. 16 confirmation hearing.Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty

Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty

Massachusetts Sen.Elizabeth Warren, the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, sent aletter of concernto Bessent on Sunday, Feb. 2.

“I am alarmed that as one of your first acts as secretary, you appear to have handed over a highly sensitive system responsible for millions of Americans’ private data — and a key function of government — to an unelected billionaire and an unknown number of his unqualified flunkies,” she wrote.

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Amid DOGE’s unprecedented effort to rapidly reshape the government, Musk has powerful allies and former employees serving in the Office of Personnel Management and the General Services Administration.

DOGE has thus far made many cuts to federal staffing, but otherwise its goals remain largely unclear. Inannouncing the unofficial department, Trump stated its goal was to form “a smaller government, with more efficiency and less bureaucracy.”

source: people.com