The Trump administration is currently embroiled in a legal dispute over a court order that restricts political appointees from accessing a crucial Treasury Department payment system responsible for processing trillions of dollars in federal funds. The top political appointee at Treasury, Tom Krause, who is a key ally of Elon Musk, has responded to the court order.
In a statement to the court, Krause clarified that he has never had direct access to the payment system or the associated data. Instead, he described his access as 'over the shoulder,' allowing him to view the system and copied source code being accessed by Treasury employees with proper authorization.
Krause emphasized that he and other administration officials should not be hindered by the court's orders. He also highlighted the importance of the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, which oversees the critical payments system, to the smooth functioning of the global economy.
Marko Elez, who worked with Krause on the system, resigned before the court order was issued and returned all electronic devices used to access the system. Concerns have been raised about potential access to private data and the security of the payments system.
It has been reported that Krause and another Trump appointee expressed interest in using the system to halt certain outgoing government payments to USAID. The situation has led to emergency court battles and increased scrutiny on the activities of Krause and the Department of General Economic Operations (DOGE) at Treasury.
