A prominent U.S. senator has sounded the alarm after Elon Musk’s team was granted “full access” to a critical Treasury payments system. The system handles trillions of dollars in federal funds, including Social Security, Medicare, and government contractor payments. According to the senator, this access poses a significant national security risk.

Senator Ron Wyden, a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, shared the news on social media, revealing that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent authorized Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to access the sensitive system. This comes after a reported standoff with the Treasury’s top career official, who resigned over the issue.

“This system controls everything from Social Security benefits to payments for government contractors, many of whom compete with Musk’s own companies,” Wyden wrote. He emphasized that the system’s integrity is crucial for the country’s economic stability.

Reports indicate that DOGE’s access was granted on Friday, with one of its representatives being Tom Krause, CEO of Cloud Software Group. Neither Krause nor the Treasury have publicly commented on the matter.

This move follows Musk’s broader efforts to influence federal operations since the new administration took office earlier this year. The payments system in question oversees around $6 trillion in federal funds, including tax refunds and payments to federal employees. Historically, access has been tightly restricted due to the system’s sensitivity and the personal data it contains.

Wyden expressed particular concern over Musk’s extensive business ties to China, warning that they could create conflicts of interest and cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Last year, the U.S. attributed several cyberattacks on critical infrastructure to China, including breaches of Treasury systems.

The situation has sparked broader scrutiny of DOGE’s activities, including its reported lockout of career civil servants from government HR systems. This echoes a 2015 hack of the Office of Personnel Management, which compromised the records of millions of federal employees and was also linked to China.

As tensions rise, questions about the security of federal systems and the implications of private sector influence on government operations remain at the forefront.