A representative from Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency now works at the Department of Veterans Affairs , where they have been given access to contracting systems as well as information on VA operations and information technology systems.
Rumors began circulating Tuesday that DOGE representatives visited the VA on Tuesday with an intent to mine data on disability compensation and benefits. But in response to questions from Military. The unfettered access to sensitive personal data has alarmed privacy advocates and cybersecurity experts who question the legality of allowing non-departmental personnel entry to financial information, bank accounts and more.
Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, said Tuesday that Musk's access to Treasury Department databases gives him access to information that includes addresses, bank accounts and disability benefits. Members of Congress on Tuesday began raising concerns that Musk or his representatives at DOGE visited the VA with the intent to access all data from the VA to discern disability ratings and payments to veterans, diagnostic codes for health conditions and more.
Patty Murray, D-Wash. Will they now look at private health records of veterans? What else will they do that could put the health and safety of our veterans at risk? Collins won handily in a vote, but Murray, a former chairwoman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, said she could not vote for him while President Donald Trump "dismantles government and breaks the law. Trump signed an executive order Jan. Wired reported that DOGE largely is staffed by to year-olds with previous connections to Musk's companies, and by Musk's own description, the entity aims to stop what its staff considers wasteful spending.
Musk, the world's richest man, was a key funder of Trump's election campaign and has been given unprecedented and potentially illegal access to sensitive systems in the federal government, apparently with Trump's OK.
