A recent court filing in a lawsuit against the U.S. Treasury Department has revealed that a staffer from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) improperly shared sensitive financial data with two members of the Trump administration. The disclosure, initially reported by Bloomberg, has raised fresh concerns about data security and access control within the department.
Who is Marko Elez?
The staffer at the center of the controversy is Marko Elez, a former employee of Elon Musk’s X and SpaceX. Elez was tasked with reviewing Treasury payment systems but resigned in early February after social media posts surfaced linking him to racist views. Despite this, he was rehired by DOGE and is now working at the Social Security Administration.
Concerns Over Unauthorized Access
Elez’s access to Treasury data has become a key issue in an ongoing lawsuit filed by 19 state attorneys general. The lawsuit, initiated in February, challenges DOGE’s ability to handle sensitive federal financial records. The Treasury Department later admitted that Elez was mistakenly given full access to read and modify its payment systems. Due to these concerns, a court order has since restricted DOGE’s access, though the government is pushing for modifications to the ruling.
Findings from Treasury’s Investigation
According to the Treasury Department’s filing, an internal review of Elez’s laptop and emails confirmed that he did not tamper with or alter any financial records. However, investigators discovered that he had sent a spreadsheet to two officials at the U.S. General Services Administration. The document contained a name—either of a person or an entity—along with a transaction type and an amount of money.
Breach of Security Protocols
Although the Treasury Department stated that the document did not include highly sensitive information such as Social Security numbers or birth dates, it acknowledged that Elez failed to follow security protocols. He neither encrypted the file nor obtained the required authorization before sharing it, violating departmental policy.
Legal Battle Over Data Security
The lawsuit against the Treasury continues to highlight concerns about DOGE’s handling of sensitive data. In a separate filing, the states suing the department argued that the findings of the investigation fail to address the core issue—what they describe as a “rushed and chaotic” onboarding process for DOGE employees. Their concerns suggest broader systemic flaws in how data access is managed within the Treasury.
Ongoing Questions About Oversight
As the legal battle unfolds, the Treasury Department faces growing scrutiny over its data security measures. With the government seeking to modify restrictions imposed by the court, questions remain about whether proper safeguards are in place to prevent similar incidents in the future.
