Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team gained access to classified information at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) after two top security officials were placed on leave for refusing to comply. DOGE, formed in cooperation with the Trump administration, has also conducted a similar operation at the Treasury Department, raising concerns about the security of sensitive government data.
The Trump administration has placed two top security chiefs at the U.S. Agency for International Development ( USAID) on leave after they refused to turn over classified material in restricted areas to Elon Musk's government-inspection teams, according to current and former U.S. officials speaking to The Associated Press on Sunday.
Members of Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, eventually gained access to the aid agency's classified information, which includes intelligence reports, on Saturday. However, Musk's DOGE crew lacked sufficient security clearance to access this information. John Voorhees, the head of USAID security, and his deputy, Brian McGill, believed they were legally obligated to deny access. This incident comes a day after DOGE carried out a similar operation at the Treasury Department, gaining access to sensitive information including the Social Security and Medicare customer payment systems. The Washington Post reported that a senior Treasury official resigned over Musk's team accessing this sensitive information. Musk formed DOGE in cooperation with the Trump administration with the stated goal of finding ways to fire federal workers, cut programs, and slash federal regulations. USAID has been one of the federal agencies most targeted by the Trump administration in an escalating crackdown on the federal government and many of its programs. The Trump administration and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have imposed an unprecedented freeze on foreign assistance that has shut down much of USAID’s humanitarian, development, and security programs worldwide, compelling thousands of layoffs by aid organizations, and ordered furloughs and leaves that have gutted the agency's leadership and staff in Washington. The U.S. is by far the world’s largest donor of humanitarian aid, with USAID administering billions of dollars in humanitarian, development, and security assistance in more than 100 countries. Peter Marocco, a returning political appointee from Trump’s first term, was a leader in enforcing the shutdown. USAID staffers say they believe that agency outsiders with visitor badges asking questions of employees inside the Washington headquarters are members of Musk's DOGE team. Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren said in a post on Sunday that Trump was allowing Musk to access people's personal information and shut down government funding. “We must do everything in our power to push back and protect people from harm,” the Massachusetts senator said, without giving details.
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