DOGE latest: Citrix supremo has 'read-only' access to US Treasury payment system
- Reference: 1738783814
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/02/05/tom_krause_treasury_read_only_access/
- Source link:
Krause, we're told, is a "special government employee" associated with Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency ( [1]DOGE ) team, which in the past few days has gained access to that critical payment system among other federal computer systems. The group is currently rifling through contracts and programs across the board to shut down if deemed by Musk and co to be inefficient or inappropriate.
FYI... Musk was instrumental in the looming shut down of Uncle Sam's USAID, which was coincidentally [2]being probed by its inspector general over the agency's [3]monitoring of Ukraine's use of USAID-provided Starlink terminals. The same Starlink operated by Musk's SpaceX.
In a February 4 [4]letter , the Treasury painted Krause's involvement with its systems as an internal audit on the look out for sub-optimal processes.
"Treasury staff members working with Tom Krause, a Treasury employee, will have read-only access to the coded data of the Fiscal Service's payment systems in order to continue this operational efficiency assessment," the memo by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reads.
That missive is in response to letters that [5]US Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and [6]Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) sent to Bessent, raising concerns about the DOGE team's infiltration of the department.
[7]
As widely reported, Musk's DOGE crew of [8]inexperienced techies and others linked to the Tesla tycoon have been granted what's described by Wyden as [9]full access to the Treasury's payments systems, which are responsible for distributing Social Security and Medicare benefits, tax credits, and grants and payments to federal employees and contractors.
[10]
[11]
The billionaire's associates, with President Trump's blessing, have also drilled into the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and General Services Administration.
According to Bessent's letter, Krause was hired by the federal government as an expert-slash-consultant to support an "operational efficiency assessment" of the federal payment systems. As part of this, he is working with "veteran career Treasury officials … in accordance with all standard security, safety, and privacy standards," the letter says.
[12]
Krause now serves as a "special government employee," a role commonly used across administrations, although it's unclear if this means he is on leave from his chief executive post. The Register reached out to Cloud Software Group and did not receive a response. Krause's access is "similar" to that given to "individuals reviewing Treasury systems, such as auditors," the letter adds.
The letter does not identify others probing the department from within on behalf of DOGE. It's [13]reported Marko Elez also has direct access to the Treasury payment system. Elez previously worked as an engineer for Musk's SpaceX and X, the social network better known as Twitter.
[14]Musk's DOGE ship gets 'full' access to Treasury payment system, sinks USAID
[15]FBI's secret UFO hunters fear Trump's January 6 purge will send them into orbit
[16]Trump scrubs all mention of DEI, gender, climate change from federal websites
[17]US senator wants to slap prison term, $1M fine on anyone aiding Chinese AI with ... downloads?
Working for the Feds while also leading private companies doesn't seem to be much of an issue under Trump 2.0.
Musk also holds the special government employee designation, and now his DOGE team has this supposedly "read-only" access to payment systems. And, of course, Musk's companies still also receive massive government contracts.
The President wants to save face and downplay the risks as Elon Musk seizes power
When asked about the Treasury Secretary's reply, Senator Wyden told The Register: "I'm sure the Treasury Secretary and the President want to save face and downplay the risks as Elon Musk seizes power, but nothing they're saying is believable or trustworthy. The American people can see what's happening, and Secretary Bessent is asking them not to believe what's playing out right in front of their eyes."
Wyden and Warren both [18]protested the DOGE team's access, right outside of the Treasury Department "where Elon Musk has launched a full scale authoritarian takeover," according to Wyden. "My message to Musk is simple: Get your hands off our money and get the hell out." ®
Editor's note: This article was revised after publication to add further context and links.
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[1] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/21/doge_us_digital_service_renamed/
[2] https://gizmodo.com/elon-musks-enemy-usaid-was-investigating-starlink-over-its-contracts-in-ukraine-2000559365
[3] https://oig.usaid.gov/node/6814
[4] https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0009
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/03/musk_doge_treasury_usaid/
[6] https://www.warren.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/final_-_rm_warren_letter_to_bessent_re_treasury_payment_system.pdf
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Z6Ptiv9jyF4FcyWCI7Xt0QAAAEQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[8] https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musk-government-young-engineers/
[9] https://bsky.app/profile/wyden.senate.gov/post/3lh5ejpwncc23
[10] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z6Ptiv9jyF4FcyWCI7Xt0QAAAEQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[11] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Z6Ptiv9jyF4FcyWCI7Xt0QAAAEQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[12] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z6Ptiv9jyF4FcyWCI7Xt0QAAAEQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[13] https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musk-associate-bfs-federal-payment-system/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/03/musk_doge_treasury_usaid/
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/04/fbis_secret_ufo_hunters_fear/
[16] https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/03/trump_admin_scrubs_dei_websites/
[17] https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/03/us_senator_download_chinese_ai_model/
[18] https://bsky.app/profile/wyden.senate.gov/post/3lhfb4sj25s2z
[19] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Musky Brown Nosers
"My colleagues are getting 15 minute one-on-one check-ins with 19, 20, and 21-year old-college graduates asking to justify their existence."
What? This is what it takes to rip down the government of country which we are constantly told is a beacon of freedom and liberty for the whole world? Why aren't they being dragged out the front door by their ears?
How long ...
until Grok, or whatever the hell Musks AI is called, leaks gov't financial data?
Usaid was investigating the nazi
Gizmodo is reporting Usaid was investigating starlink. That's why the hostile takeover. He's a criminal, and a foreign adversary, and he needs to be in The Hague with the rest of them. 30 years.
Re: Usaid
It's a bit nuanced but we've added that as a break-out box. USAID was being probed by its own watchdog (its IG) regarding...
"how (1) the Government of Ukraine used the USAID-provided Starlink terminals, and (2) USAID monitored the Government of Ukraine’s use of USAID-provided Starlink terminals."
To me that speaks more to USAID's management of the situation, but the conflict of interest is great enough in any case that IMHO Elon should have stayed out of the agency's pending demise.
C.
Re: Usaid
Others are pointing out they also gutted the other agencies that were investigating him, like the FAA.
He has no business anywhere near the capital or government. thanks for the ad on.
jesus
Fucking Christ. Its a coup for a start and this is a clear way to give your mates a peek into how everything is setup and run. So you can make your own app then sell it to the government. And because the government is your mate, you'll get the contract.
As was stated many a time, the great orange cunt is out to enrich himself and his mates.
As is sh itrix isn't bad enough itself
now it can use in-insider information...
Mmm - I’m assuming that the onboarding process to the infrastructure layer is convoluted and involves VPN and SSH keys and GPG signing and loads of domain knowledge to actually get to anything, or make sense of anything. I’m guessing that these folk are not properly getting an onboarding and I’m guessing they don’t know how to access anything nor what the infra is, nor how any of it hangs together. Certainly not in a week. So - what’s really happening here in IT land? What’s the IT angle?
Where is the photo of Musk reaching for the manual on the top shelf?
They could switch all US government systems over to customised Oracle implementations to reduce costs. I hear that the quotes are very reasonable.
Musky Brown Nosers
I wonder if it's the same Musk Brown Noser who moved his family into a Federal Office building because Musk is too cheap to pay properly.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/top-musk-lieutenant-moved-wife-and-baby-into-government-building-federal-worker/