Musk’s DOGE gains access to highly sensitive info of federal employees

Elon Musk’s D.O.G.E gained high-level access to a major federal payroll system over the weekend, giving it visibility into the personal and financial data of about 276,000 government workers. 

Two anonymous sources told The New York Times that the DOGE team obtained administrative access to the Federal Personnel and Payroll System (FPPS) on Saturday. 

This system is housed at the Interior Department and processes salary payments for employees in agencies such as the Justice Department, the Treasury Department, and the Department of Homeland Security. The system also covers the Air Force, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. 

Senior IT officials at the Interior Department initially opposed DOGE’s request, arguing that the information, containing Social Security numbers and other sensitive details, is supposed to have stronger safeguards. The two anonymous sources said those objections about sensitive info were overridden, and at least two IT officials who resisted DOGE’s request were placed on administrative leave and are now under investigation.

DOGE has pushed for access to federal databases in recent weeks. In some instances, these efforts have faced legal challenges. But Saturday’s development appears to be the most significant so far since it involves a system that processes tens of thousands of federal paychecks. 

A spokeswoman for the Interior Department, Kathryn Martin, said in a statement on Sunday, “We are working to execute the President’s directive to cut costs and make the government more efficient for the American people and have taken actions to implement President Trump’s Executive Orders.” 

Musk has been defending his actions

Mr. Musk, speaking on Fox News last week, defended his team’s drive to access government personnel data. 

He said DOGE’s main goal was to reconcile separate databases in an effort to reduce waste and fraud. “These databases don’t talk to each other,” he said.

“That’s really the biggest vulnerability for fraud. We need to reconcile the databases. It’s a, frankly, painful homework, but it has to be done, and will greatly improve the efficiency of the government systems.” 

At the Interior Department, the two individuals said DOGE staff members Stephanie Holmes and Katrine Trampe had been seeking elevated administrative access to the payroll system for about two weeks. That access would allow them to hire or fire employees, change salary levels, and adjust health benefits with limited or no further approval.

Senior career employees at the Interior Department circulated a memo late last week outlining the risks. The memo noted that “no single DoI official presently has access to all HR, payroll and credentialing systems,” indicating the rare nature of DOGE’s request. It further warned that the Privacy Act imposes possible criminal penalties if sensitive personal information is viewed. 

Another concern is that granting extensive credentials to individuals who have not undergone specialized training could result in “significant failure” from operator error, as described in the memo.

Despite these warnings, the two people said DOGE leaders pressed forward. Federal employees attempted to have Interior Secretary Doug Burgum review and sign the memo. The two sources mentioned that Burgum didn’t sign the memo. Instead, Tyler Hassan, who once served at DOGE and now works at the Interior Department, put the agency’s chief information officer and chief information security officer on administrative leave. The two employees are also under investigation for their supposed “workplace behavior.”

With those officials sidelined, Ms. Holmes and Ms. Trampe were granted the administrative credentials they had been pursuing. By Saturday, DOGE had effectively gained visibility into and control over the employment status, compensation, and benefits of about 276,000 federal workers at dozens of agencies.

These developments have caused anxiety among longtime government employees, particularly those worried about data privacy and potential political retaliation in the hiring and firing process.

Cryptopolitan Academy: Want to grow your money in 2025? Learn how to do it with DeFi in our upcoming webclass. Save Your Spot