Hundreds of protesters and a contingent of Democratic lawmakers rallied outside the Department of the Treasury in Washington on Tuesday. They united to denounce what they termed as Elon Musk's "hostile takeover" of federal financial systems. The protests focused on recent reports that Musk's "Department of Government Efficiency" (Doge) team had gained access to sensitive government financial data.
A dozen members of Congress, including notable figures such as Maxine Waters, Al Green, Ayanna Pressley, and senators Chuck Schumer, Jeff Merkley, and Richard Blumenthal, joined the chorus of condemnations. The allegations center around Musk's team reportedly having access to data related to social security payments, Medicare reimbursements, and tax refunds. These systems handle trillions of dollars in transactions annually, raising significant concerns over data security and governmental oversight.
In a dramatic attempt to further their demands, a handful of lawmakers, including Jasmine Crockett, Ayanna Pressley, Maxwell Frost, and Jamie Raskin, tried to enter the Treasury Department but were denied entry. Minutes earlier, the same group had attempted to breach the Treasury's premises.
"We are not going to sit around while you go and desecrate our constitution. We are going to be in your face and on your asses!" – Jasmine Crockett
Protesters included individuals like Dave Stoakley, who traveled over two hours from central Virginia. Stoakley viewed the situation as part of a more extensive pattern of corporate overreach. Similarly, Alexa Fraser, a former federal contractor with experience in public health research, expressed her unease about Musk's involvement with these critical systems.
"We have no reason to think his security situation is better now." – Alexa Fraser
Reports by Bloomberg revealed that the Treasury Department had granted Musk's team "read-only" access to the coded data within the government's payment system. In response to these revelations, Jonathan Blum, the Treasury's principal deputy assistant secretary for legislative affairs, assured Senator Ron Wyden through a letter that the system remains "robust and effective." According to Blum, no valid payment requests from government agencies had been rejected.