The controversy surrounding Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency continues, as the world's richest man is accused of prying into some of America's most sensitive data. The DOGE has been tasked with cutting a mere $2 trillion from government spending, with even Musk himself admitting it might not be possible.
Still, the billionaire and his team have wasted no time in trimming the fat by targeting everything from the National Space Council to USAid.
Concerns have been raised about how much access the DOGE has, while the controversy has even led to some staffers receiving death threats.
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Now, one government contractor has referred to it as the 'biggest' data breach in US history when speaking to The Atlantic.
The anonymous source explained: "You can’t un-ring this bell. Once these DOGE guys have access to these data systems, they can ostensibly do with it what they want."
Four sources spoke to the outlet, but only Scott Cory would go on record. The former CIO for an HHS agency said: "The longer this goes on, the greater the risk of potential fatal compromise increases."
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The DOGE has reportedly accessed the U.S. Treasury, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Office of Personnel Management, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
A federal agency administrator added: "I don’t think the public quite understands the level of danger."
With its new powers, the DOGE could stop government organizations from being paid and divert money to groups it selects itself. There are worries that potential access to the Federal Aviation could be 'dire', although Musk hasn't yet changed how things work.
There have also been critiques that he's brought in a young team of technical wizards, although one payment-systems expert suggested that this is actually a good thing: "If you were going to organize a heist of the U.S. Treasury, why in the world would you bring a handful of college students?” He went on to say you'd need several people that had at least a decade of experience with COBOL.
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President Trump has promised that Musk and the DOGE won't do anything without his approval, but for the critics, that doesn't mean much.
As one source said, the inexperience of DOGE workers combined with the power they wield could be deadly: "It’s like walking into a nuclear reactor and deciding to handle some plutonium."
Despite not being paid, apparently working 120 hours a week, and sleeping in the offices, the DOGE staff have been flexing their muscles to make some serious cuts.
Looking at the bigger picture, one source concluded: "I’d like to think that this is all so massive and complex that they won’t succeed in whatever it is they’re trying to do. But I wouldn’t want to wager that outcome against their egos."