Elon Musk’s DOGE Targets IRS for Sensitive Taxpayer Data Access

WASHINGTON (AP) — Elon Musk‘s DOGE is pursuing access to sensitive taxpayer data at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), according to sources familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity. This move raises significant concerns over privacy and data misuse.

The IRS holds confidential records, including tax returns, Social Security numbers, and banking information for millions of Americans. The effort by DOGE stems from a broader initiative to address what Musk’s group characterizes as ‘waste, fraud, and abuse’ within the federal workforce.

Gavin Kliger, a software engineer affiliated with DOGE, is expected to gain access to the IRS’s taxpayer data system in the coming days. Initially stationed at the IRS for a minimum of 120 days, Kliger will serve as a senior adviser to the acting IRS commissioner. His work, however, has not yet received official approval.

“Waste, fraud, and abuse have been deeply entrenched in our broken system for far too long. It takes direct access to the system to identify and fix it,” said Harrison Fields, White House deputy press secretary, in a statement. “DOGE will continue to shine a light on the fraud they uncover as the American people deserve to know what their government has been spending their hard-earned tax dollars on.”

The access sought by DOGE includes the Integrated Data Retrieval System (IDRS), a secure system that provides IRS employees with direct access to specific taxpayer accounts. The IDRS contains some of the IRS’s most sensitive financial data, and protection protocols are particularly strict to prevent unauthorized access. This includes preventing IRS employees from viewing records related to their own accounts or those of family and friends.

Democratic Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts expressed their strong opposition to this potential access. They sent a letter to IRS Commissioner Douglas O’Donnell, demanding transparency about any plans to grant DOGE access to internal IRS systems. “The IRS must immediately disclose to the Senate Committee on Finance the full extent of the potential access to IRS systems and data granted to DOGE team members,” their letter stated, highlighting concerns about safeguarding taxpayer privacy.

They also underscored that strong legal protections exist surrounding tax returns and that any unauthorized access could violate federal privacy laws. “Allowing DOGE officials sweeping access to these systems may be in violation of these statutes,” the letter added.

Advocates worry that providing DOGE with access to sensitive taxpayer records might result in misuse of information. Concerns extend to how such activities could potentially complicate operations during the ongoing tax filing season, as the IRS prepares for the filing of over 140 million returns by the April 15 deadline. The senators noted that any disruptions or delays in IRS operations could lead to significant financial consequences for taxpayers relying on timely refunds.

The IRS has also faced lawsuits questioning DOGE’s authority to access taxpayer data. More than a dozen state attorneys general filed a suit on Thursday, stating that the actions alleged of Musk’s leadership at DOGE exceed the scope of power typically held by federal officials without Senate confirmation.

An account on social media platform X associated with DOGE, identified as DOGE IRS, has asked the public for assistance in identifying fraud related to the IRS, raising further eyebrows about their intentions.

This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available. CNN’s Alejandra Jaramillo contributed to this report.