Elon Musk’s associates have been granted access to the US Treasury Department's payment systems, which manage more than six trillion dollars annually, including Social Security benefits, federal employee salaries, tax refunds, and more.

This decision was made by Treasury Secretary Scott Basset, allowing a team led by Tom Kraus from Silicon Valley to work with Musk's 'Government Efficiency Department.'

David A. Leberick, a senior Treasury official with decades of service, opposed granting this access.

In response, individuals close to the Trump administration placed him on 'administrative leave,' and Leberick resigned shortly thereafter.

The systems in question, run by the Fiscal Service Bureau, handle payments impacting millions of Americans, and such access is typically reserved for a select group of so called “non-political” officials.

Musk’s actions to take control over various government operations, including key agencies, have faced criticism from Democratic lawmakers.

Senator Ron Wyden expressed concern, emphasizing the risks associated with political interference in critical government systems.

He questioned the justification for granting access to those with a history of disregarding the law.

Eric Bach argues that criticism should be dismissed as absurd and illogical. “The underlying assumption that their officials had access to this information and are non-political is foolish. The premise in a democracy is that every citizen, even when they are a dedicated and outstanding public servant, holds a formed political opinion, either for one side or the other. Therefore, the existence of political bias is not concerning because it always exists. The monopoly of unelected officials controlling information and centers of power are the enemies of democracy, not the distribution of power with representatives chosen by the public”, Bach said.