Top Democrat Calls Out Musk

Senator John Fetterman (D-Pa.) recently took aim at tech billionaire Elon Musk over a report claiming that Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) attempted to access sensitive IRS data. Fetterman expressed his concerns on social media, criticizing the effort as a potential violation of privacy and a threat to taxpayer security. He wrote on X, “I want to save billions of your money and make our government more efficient. Rummaging through your personal s‑‑‑ is not that. A party of chaos loses—always.”

The issue came to light when Fetterman shared a Politico article detailing DOGE’s attempts to gain access to the IRS’s Integrated Data Retrieval System (IDRS). A White House official later confirmed the report. DOGE, which Musk heads, has launched accounts on X for the IRS and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) with the stated goal of identifying and eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse in these agencies. Musk even reposted content from these accounts on Monday.

However, the initiative has raised alarms among some Democrats, including Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). The two Senators wrote to acting IRS Commissioner Douglas O’Donnell, expressing concerns about DOGE’s potential access to sensitive tax information. They warned that no executive order could authorize the kind of access Musk’s software engineers were seeking, asserting that any such attempt could violate taxpayer privacy laws.

Wyden and Warren argued that Musk’s team had no legal right to access IRS records and could be breaking the law by attempting to do so. Their letter emphasized that taxpayer data is protected by the federal tax code, and any unauthorized access could have serious legal consequences.

While many Republicans support efforts to increase government efficiency, there is a growing concern that Musk’s unconventional approach may be crossing a line, and the need for safeguards around taxpayer data has never been clearer.