US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent tells taxpayers their data is safe with Elon Musk’s D.O.G.E

In a Fox News interview on Tuesday, newly-appointed US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended his president Donald Trump’s decision to allow Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) look through Treasury data in its mission to cut federal spending and save the US economy.

Scott confirmed that the DOGE team has identified $50 billion in potential savings, saying that this is “a very good start” and that DOGE’s cut will eventually lead to savings of “several percent of GDP.”

“You don’t have to be concerned about any of this,” said Scott. Despite his assurances, Democratic lawmakers have shared strong objections, after DOGE’s partial access to BFS systems last week.

Treasury payment system and DOGE’s role

The Treasury’s payment system processes approximately 88% of all U.S. government payments, totaling $5.46 trillion each year. The BFS system acts as “America’s checkbook,” ensuring that all payment requests are properly processed before being disbursed through the Federal Reserve. As of now, the system is critical to DOGE’s mission to eliminate fraud, waste, and improper payments within the federal government.

Scott was quick to address concerns raised by privacy advocates, particularly regarding the potential exposure of sensitive taxpayer data as DOGE seeks access to systems managed by the Treasury’s Bureau of Fiscal Service (BFS), which oversees payments across nearly 250 federal agencies.

According to Thomas Krause, DOGE’s lead at the Treasury, the team’s mission is focused on reducing improper payments, including fraud and abuse, as part of Trump’s broader agenda for fiscal reform.

Krause’s team has been exploring ways to identify improper payments, including those related to refugee resettlement programs. This is in line with Trump’s executive orders aimed at controlling spending and reducing what he calls “wasteful” federal expenditures.

A federal judge temporarily blocked the DOGE team’s ability to access Treasury payment systems containing personally identifiable information (PII) on February 8, after a lawsuit was filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James and 18 other state attorneys general.

The suit alleges that the Trump administration granted political appointees undue access to critical federal systems, raising concerns about privacy and the potential for misuse. As of press time, only civil servants with a “need to access” the data are permitted to review sensitive records.

This limitation applies to Treasury Secretary Scott and other Senate-confirmed officials. Krause, who has led the DOGE team’s operations at the Treasury, swore in court filings that prior to the restraining order, his access was restricted to “over-the-shoulder” monitoring, meaning he could observe what Treasury employees saw but had no ability to alter the data.