The Fiscal Assistant Secretary of the United States Treasury #David #Lebryk has been put on paid administrative leave
and plans to resign after refusing to give Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) access to the operational details of the Treasury’s payment system and the data it processes.

In particular, Musk’s DOGE team has been asking for what the New York Times reporting refers to as
“source code information” since December and has been rebuffed.

CNN reporting specifically states that they were inquiring about the technical ability to stop payments.

Lebryk is widely credited with being the person responsible for the continuity of cash inflows and outflows during recurrent debt ceiling crises of the past 15 years
while concurrently ensuring the debt ceiling limit was not breached.

Scott Bessent’s full willingness to cooperate with DOGE’s desire to access the operational aspects of the Treasury’s payment system,
even to the point of overruling Lebryk,
is an extremely shocking development.

It implies a level of willingness to serve Trump’s interests that has not previously been understood by Congress, Wall Street, or corporate America at-large.

The danger is also not in the near future, it is here.

The danger of operational access to the payments system is precisely that there are very little safeguards for its improper use or manipulation.

It turns out that the greatest barrier was David Lebryk,
and he was shunted aside at the direct order of the White House.

We also have no idea what circumstances, or even if it is true, that “Career Treasury Department attorneys signed off.”

It’s likely they are pursuing using this to block payments
-- since the impoundment constitutional crisis has not been resolved.

They absolutely can shut down payments from a disfavored agency
even if they can’t shut down “individual” payments operationally.

Musk and his cronies are clearly aiming to redesign the payments system to serve their agenda.

The most chilling statement is this from the Wall Street Journal:

"It couldn’t be determined what DOGE representatives intended to do with their access to the payment system.

Musk and his team think the payment system should be overseen by political appointees selected by President Trump, the people said."
https://www.crisesnotes.com/elon-musk-wants-to-get-operational-control-of-the-treasurys-payment-system-this-could-not-possibly-be-more-dangerous/

The highest-ranking career official at the Treasury Department
is departing
after a clash with allies of billionaire Elon Musk
over access to sensitive government payment systems.

#David A. #Lebryk, who served in nonpolitical roles at Treasury for several decades,
announced his retirement Friday in an email to colleagues.

Donald Trump named Lebryk as acting secretary upon taking office last week.

Lebryk had a dispute with Musk’s surrogates over access to the payment system the U.S. government uses to disburse trillions of dollars every year.

The exact nature of the disagreement was not immediately clear.

Officials affiliated with Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” have been asking since after the election for access to the system
— requests that were reiterated more recently, including after Trump’s inauguration.

A spokeswoman for DOGE declined to comment.

Typically only a small number of career officials control Treasury’s payment systems.

Run by the Bureau of the Fiscal Service,
the sensitive systems control the flow of more than $6 trillion annually to households, businesses and more nationwide.

Tens, if not hundreds, of millions of people across the country rely on the systems,
which are responsible for distributing Social Security and Medicare benefits,
salaries for federal personnel,
payments to government contractors and grant recipients
and tax refunds, among tens of thousands of other functions.

The clash reflects an intensifying battle between Musk and the federal bureaucracy
as the Trump administration nears the conclusion of its second week.

Musk has sought to exert sweeping control over the inner workings of the U.S. government,
installing longtime surrogates at several agencies,
including the Office of Personnel Management,
which essentially handles federal human resources,
and the General Services Administration,
which manages real estate.

(Musk was seen on Thursday visiting GSA, according to two other people familiar with his whereabouts.

His Department of Government Efficiency,
originally conceived as a nongovernmental panel,
has since replaced the U.S. Digital Service.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/01/31/elon-musk-treasury-department-payment-systems/