Musk Aide Marko Elez Given Access to Treasury's Federal Payment System

In early February 2025, reporting and subsequent court filings revealed that Marko Elez, a 25-year-old aide tied to Elon Musk with prior experience at SpaceX and X, had been granted access to the Treasury Department's Bureau of the Fiscal Service payment system. That system processes the large majority of federal payments, including Social Security, Medicare and tax refunds. Officials initially said access was read-only, but later court filings acknowledged Elez had been given read/write privileges before the arrangement was adjusted.

Elez resigned shortly after the Wall Street Journal surfaced racist posts he had made online, though he was reportedly rehired soon after. A preliminary review found no evidence he misused the system while he had access.

The episode intensified concerns, voiced by lawmakers including Senator Elizabeth Warren, about DOGE-affiliated staffers with minimal government experience gaining control over sensitive financial infrastructure. It fed into subsequent litigation, including a federal court's later decision to restrict DOGE's access to Treasury payment systems.