I’m a Federal Worker. Elon Musk’s Government Data Heist Is the Entire Ballgame.

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2025/02/elon-musk-us-aid-social-security-data-heist-trump.html

46 comments

  1. Elon was not senate confirmed to a department that congress did not create; this is governmental sabotage by an oligarch and the start of a coup.

  2. China and Russia are so happy. We really did this to ourselves out of hatred and ignorance. Incredibly sad from a nation of weak minded fools.

  3. Maybe it’s time to hit the batter with a fastball to the face

  4. This is so ludicrous my friends and family don’t believe this is actually happening. And we are very liberal. There’s no way some unelected immigrant and a few teenagers and young twenty somethings can hack the entire nation.

  6. Hack in broad daylight because the president doesn’t know where he is 70% of the time and actively shits his pants.

  7. If any one of us normal people did this, we’d be arrested

  8. Elon Musk is a Clear and Present danger to the continuation of the United States of America!!!

  9. Explain to me how this happens? To my knowledge, if you don’t have clearance and need to know, armed security is at least supposed to escort you out, and possibly in handcuffs for espionage charges. They’re not supposed to let you in past security checkpoints, and through locked doors. Were there threats, bullshit orders, official orders we’re just not hearing about? Even now, if there is proof he obtained sensitive information illegally, that’s grounds for arrest, correct?

  10. Why do you think it was done on a Friday night?

    Who are guards supposed to call when the presidents “appointee” shows up at the door claiming Trump is telling him to do these things? And when the few that do try, he fires in the spot

  11. This is horrifying.

    Every Democrat in Congress and the Senate needs to show up at OPM right now to find out what is happening to legally protected data that Musk has taken control of.

    If he can do it, so can the Democrats. Let’s have a stand off and let’s FILM IT.

  12. Pretty sure many of the politicians out there have stock options with these wealthy elites (this is not just musk alone) and are being told implicitly to stay quiet. 

  14. We are living through a true constitutional crisis. This is an emergency. Call your Senators! Call your Congressman! Go to their offices! Go down to Treasury tomorrow. If you are in any position to be there in person, do it.

    At a minimum call their offices and leave a message, urge then to get off their asses and a create a spectacle. We might not be able to stop all of this, but we need to fight it. I’m not going to tell people 20 years from now that I saw what was happening and I couldn’t even be bothered to pick up a phone. Do something!

  15. There’s only one way to stop it from going any further.

  17. Just a friendly reminder, every person or org that has ever received a payment from the federal gov now has standing to sue Musk under the Privacy Act

  18. Tell me Elon Musk isn’t the villain from Hackers.

    Go ahead, convince me.

  19. Americans are more concerned with Kayne crashing the Grammys. Joke of a country at this point

  20. Have you never listened to his live calls on X? He has Republican Senators in and out that tell him nonstop that he’s doing a great job. Joni Ernst, him, and Vivek had a call last night where she was talking about shutting USAID down and was so grateful to him for doing it. They’re 100% on board with this

  22. The terse [Executive Order establishing DOGE](https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/establishing-and-implementing-the-presidents-department-of-government-efficiency/) sets forth as its mandate to modernize federal information technology. But the largest donor to Trump’s 2024 campaign, [Elon Musk is unilaterally expanding that mandate to include control over financial flows throughout the federal government](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-02-02/musk-says-doge-is-rapidly-shutting-down-treasury-payments?utm_campaign=instagram-bio-link&utm_content=business&utm_medium=social&utm_source=instagram&leadSource=reddit_wall). Top security officials at USAID that understood the lawlessness of Musk’s actions were placed on leave Saturday after refusing to allow DOGE staffers access to systems at the foreign assistance agency, saying the DOGE staffers lacked the required security clearances.

    Musk is targeting systems that process tens of billions of dollars a day in payments for US government agencies and the officials that oversee them. Musk’s statements on Sunday, February 2, 2025, follow last week’s departure of David Lebryk, the Treasury Department’s most senior career official, after Lebryk clashed with Musk.

    [Senator Ron Wyden](https://www.finance.senate.gov/chairmans-news/wyden-demands-answers-following-report-of-musk-personnel-seeking-access-to-highly-sensitive-us-treasury-payments-system), the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, said Friday that he’s been told that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has granted DOGE full access to Treasury’s payment systems.

    >“Social Security and Medicare benefits, grants, payments to government contractors, including those that compete directly with Musk’s own companies,” Wyden said on BlueSky, a social media rival to Musk’s X. “All of it.”

    Treasury officials have long maintained that its role is to serve as the federal government’s clerk maintaining the government checkbook, but per the Constitution (Article I, Section 8), the spending power is vested in Congress, which upon appropriation directs individual agencies to disburse the subject funds.

    Elon Musk’s unlawful actions are interfering with funds already appropriated by Congress and which are being administered in accordance with law by authorized agencies. Unelected Elon Musk’s actions constitute a direct interference with the official acts of Congress which earlier authorized specific spending and directed government agencies to carry out that legislative directive.

    Musk’s actions warrant criminal prosecution.

  24. Musk is a national security threat of the highest order and must not be permitted to have access to America’s bank. Similarly, Musk must be prevented from exploiting America’s data.

    Musk’s DOGE was conceived to skirt disclosure requirements and vetting of China businessman Elon Musk, who has disqualifying ties to the CCP. Musk’s Tesla operating in China is subject to Chinese law requiring it to “assist or cooperate” with the Chinese Government’s “intelligence work”. Tesla Shanghai produces 50% of Tesla’s global auto output.

    On January 17, 2025, the unanimous SCOTUS identified that a national security threat existed with ByteDance Ltd. See: *TikTok Inc. v. Garland*, 604 U.S. 3 (2025):

    >ByteDance Ltd. is subject to Chinese laws that require it to “assist or cooperate” with the Chinese Government’s “intelligence work” and to ensure that the Chinese Government has “the power to access and control private data” the company holds. H. R. Rep. No. 118–417, p. 4 (2024) (H. R. Rep.); see 2 App. 673–676.

    Musk’s connection to the CCP, (like ByteDance’s connection) makes Musk a national security threat to the United States. As a condition of Musk doing business in China, Musk must “assist or cooperate” with the Chinese Government’s “intelligence work”.

    Musk is doing the bidding of Beijing on issues such as TikTok, Taiwan, H-1B visas, and tariffs. Now Musk’s attempting to rob the U.S. Treasury. Respected officials like [Senator Ron Wyden](https://www.finance.senate.gov/chairmans-news/wyden-demands-answers-following-report-of-musk-personnel-seeking-access-to-highly-sensitive-us-treasury-payments-system) (D-Ore, Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee), [Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro](https://delauro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/delauro-letter-congressional-leadership-musk-chaos-government-funding) (Democrat-CT-03, Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee), and [retired military](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/29/opinion/elon-musk-china-classified-secrets-national-security-russia-doge.html) service members are sounding the alarm.

  25. Pseudo-Department DOGE was supposed to be an ultra-transparent cost cutting marvel. Turns out, it’s just Musk and his Silicon Valley bros like Peter Thiel and Marc Andreessen raiding the U.S. Treasury.

    One of Marc Andreessen’s ignominious companies was [LendUp](https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/us-consumer-bureau-orders-fintech-firm-lendup-halt-new-loans-pay-fine-2021-12-21/). Marc Andreessen and Elon Musk are straight-up criminals. Full stop. For example, [Elon Musk ripped off Twitter investors for $150 million](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/14/technology/sec-elon-musk-securities-violations.html).

    The new head of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is Scott Kubar who worked with Andreessen at the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. Trump rubber-stamped Kubar as OPM chief at Musk’s request. Kubar is also a longtime associate of Musk.

    If one wants to know why Musk’s pseudo-department “DOGE” has the Consumer Fraud Protection Bureau (CFPB) in the crosshairs, you need only look to the LendUp grift. LendUp, before being shuttered, was rife with fraud and the exploitation of everyday Americans through predatory lending practices, and other lawbreaking.

    To be sure, the new American Oligarchy is an incestuous loathsome lot. Trump and his new cabal are not looking out for everyday Americans.

  26. If this man isn’t imprisoned, we need to look into a system reset

  27. An unconfirmed narcissist billionaire was just given the keys to the whole government basically. If that doesn’t absolutely terrify people then I don’t know what will. It honestly makes me terrified of what he’ll do with all of our social security numbers, payments, etc. Elmo will do absolutely anything to become a trillionaire and I think this will make him one.

  28. The bugs are now already in the system and the data has already been harvested. Even if we convict him of treason, at this point the damage is done.

  29. Yup right as we speak Elon Musk is copying the personal data of every single democrat.

    Guess what. Got a small business loan from the government and you are a registered democrat? Musk now has his hands on the delete button. Science grant for your college class? Nope delete. Student loan and you are a democrat? Nope delete.

    That is the end goal here and right now no one is looking over Musks shoulder to even know what he is doing

  30. Imagine the so called r’s if Joe Biden had people doing this 😂

  31. It’s too late now and the only way to deal with Musk is to do something permanent to him.

  32. Thing he doesnt care about

    Trade Secrets Act (18 U.S.C. §   1905) – prohibits federal employees from disclosing confidential business or trade information.

    Computer Fraud & Abuse Act (CFAA) (18 U.S.C. § 1030) – criminalizes unauthorized access to computers and networks, including hacking and data theft.

    Espionage Act (18 U.S.C. §§ 793-798) – prohibits obtaining, transmittin, or leaking national defense information to harm the U.S. or aid a foreign power.

    Wiretap Act (18 U.S.C. § 2511) – Makes it illegal to intercept, use, or disclose electronic, oral, or wire communications without authorization.

    Economic Espionage Act (18 U.S.C. §§ 1831-1839) – Criminalizes theft or misappropriation of trade secrets, especially for foreign benefit.

    Classified Information Procedures Act (CIPA) (18 U.S.C. App 3) – Regulates how classified information is handled in court to prevent unauthorized disclosure.

  33. America you deserve this for voting Trump in. And if you continue to do nothing to stop it, you deserve it even more.

  35. But r/ conservative said he’s just doing an audit, it’s a good thing, nothing to worry about, and we’re just conspiracy theorists lol wtf is going on

  36. I just called my rep and my two senators regarding Elon – it’ll take you less than three minutes. Do it. Call them.

    The staff are always nice, don’t be rude to them unless they are rude to you.

  37. Write your senators now

    Subject: Demand for the Immediate Removal of Elon Musk from U.S. Government Affairs

    Dear [Senator’s Name],

    I am writing to demand immediate action regarding Elon Musk’s undue influence on matters of the United States government. Elon Musk holds no elected office, was never subjected to the democratic election process, and not a single American cast a vote to grant him any form of political authority. Despite this, he wields significant influence over critical governmental decisions, which is both unacceptable and a direct affront to the democratic principles this country was founded upon.

    Musk’s expansive and conflicting business interests—many of which are deeply intertwined with foreign governments and industries critical to national security—pose clear and present risks. His unchecked involvement in sensitive areas like aerospace, telecommunications, and artificial intelligence raises serious questions about conflicts of interest, national security vulnerabilities, and the erosion of public trust in government operations.

    His erratic behavior and self-serving decisions only amplify the danger of allowing such influence to continue. No private citizen, billionaire or not, should have this level of access or authority without public accountability. The American people did not vote for him, nor do we owe him a seat at the table where decisions about our national future are made.

    I urge you to take decisive action to remove Elon Musk’s influence from all U.S. government affairs immediately. This is not a request—it is an expectation that you will uphold your duty to protect the integrity of our democracy from being undermined by unelected, unaccountable individuals driven by personal interests.

    I look forward to your swift and resolute response on this matter.

    Sincerely,
    [Your Full Name]
    [Your Address]
    [Your City, State, ZIP]

  38. “Maddeningly, though, the Musk-Miller-Trump administration seems to have convinced many outside commentators to credit its actions as some sort of masterful, calculated scheme. Take it from someone with a front-row seat: Ocean’s Eleven this is not. It’s a smash and grab. Careful and calculating actors wouldn’t brazenly break the law and dare authorities to respond.”

    But that’s exactly the point. Nobody is stopping them because the president holds all the cards and nobody can stop them. They’re making it really clear that there’s not a damn thing we can do probably short of violent resistance.

    Was it only a few months ago that one of them said, “it’s the second American revolution, and it’ll be bloodless if the liberals let it be.”. It’s a coup, and they’re doing it right out in the open because they’ve already taken the critical parts of our government, and they don’t have to hide it.

  39. LMAO CHINA IS STEALING OUR DATA! DELETE TIKTOK!

    No. Elon is, actually.

  40. Where’s the CIA/FBI when you need them. The Kennedy package.

  42. I guess it’s not far-fetched to say that now that the coup is almost done, this would be the effective end of the US as the main superpower. You can say China did their work in a very, very efficient and patient way. Surely now they will hand everything to their Russian and Chinese overlords, in such a way that Trump voters will celebrate. it’s interesting to see such a historic event happening in real time, and it makes me really sad for the US citizens that are aware of this happening. Hopefully… hopefully! There might be a way out of this for the US. But it all looks very bleak as for now. I live outside the US and I’ll be very careful to stay away from Gilead, i mean the US, in the near future. i don’t wanna end in some concentration camp in Texas or Guantanamo!

  43. Elon has copied all data to his private servers where he will use the information to gain an unfair competitive advantage. Over everyone.

  44. I’m not understanding how congress is being so quiet!?!?

  45. Biggest fucking intelligence coup of the 21st century. Almost certain the info the Treasury Department had could easily be sold…I mean handed over…to the Russians or Chinese

  46. The best summary of the current situation – “Disruption may have become a badge of honor among tech bros with backward hats and pockets full of other people’s money. But when it comes to the nation’s food security, transit safety, market stability, access to electricity, and preservation of civil rights, disruption for the sake of disruption is dangerous. And these disrupters clearly don’t have the chops to do it well; they lack the patience, the multistep reasoning, the humanity, and the humility necessary to make changes to human systems that are effective, efficient, and lasting.”

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