Lawmakers Question Security Risks After Reports of Musk’s Team Entering Government Systems
WCTU CLEVELAND 13 — Congresswoman Shontel Brown, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation, along with Congressman Gerald E. Connolly, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari, led all Committee Democrats in expressing urgent concerns over reports that unauthorized individuals associated with Elon Musk or the "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE) have accessed protected government networks and sensitive data. The agencies implicated include the Department of the Treasury, the General Services Administration (GSA), the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
In their letter to Deputy Inspectors General Loren Sciurba, Norbert E. Vint, Robert C. Erickson, Sheldon Shoemaker, René L. Rocque, and Inspector General Paul K. Martin, the Members wrote, "These reports raise serious questions about the security protocols in place to safeguard sensitive government information and the potential for unauthorized access and misuse by private citizens without requisite clearance or any legitimate reason to access this information." They emphasized the need for coordination across the inspector general community to address potential threats to national security.
The letter highlights concerns that unauthorized individuals have gained access to protected government networks and sensitive, potentially classified data at multiple federal agencies. The Members urged the inspectors general to assess whether agencies followed appropriate protocols for conducting privacy impact assessments and to provide detailed information regarding the nature and justification of the access granted to these individuals.
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