The Department of Government Efficiency (D.O.G.E) headed by Elon Musk has started to make foes as it begins its mission. In a recent report, the department clashed with the United States Treasury Department, leading to the resignation of the highest-ranked official at the department, David Lebryk. Lebryk decided to tender his resignation after Musk asked for unrestricted access to audit federal spending.
After his resignation, Musk has unearthed a can of worms, claiming that the Treasury has been negligent in its activities. He mentioned that the payment approval officers at the department approved every payment, even the ones made to entities linked to terrorists and scammers. The federal deficit has made him furious, vowing to slash $4 billion from it every day till the end of September.
Lebryk exit Treasury amid dispute with Elon Musk
Presently, there is a heated exchange between the Treasury and Musk’s team over the control of the federal payment system. The system, overseen by the Bureau of Fiscal Services, processes about 1.3 billion payments every year. Lebryk, who resigned, was appointed as the acting head of the Treasury, ahead of the confirmation of his pick Scott Bessent.
Elon Musk has been tasked with controlling how money is spent, calling it an existential threat, noting that he has plans to reduce it by the fiscal year 2026. The move has caused experts to freak out, with former Treasury official Mark Mazur highlighting that the approach is unprecedented. “It’s never been used in a way to execute a partisan agenda,” he said.
With Lebryk leaving, Deputy Treasury nominee Michael Faulkner praised his work. “He always seemed to be relaxed and under control.” But Elon’s arrival threw him into unfamiliar territory, and he chose to walk away rather than fight. In an email, Lebryk told staff to be steadfast in their work and know that it is very important to the country.