Senate: DOGE once led by Elon Musk risked data

A Senate report led by Sen. Gary Peters alleges the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), created by President Trump and initially led by Elon Musk, has operated outside federal law and without oversight at the Social Security Administration, General Services Administration and Office of Personnel Management, with agencies unable or unwilling to explain DOGE leadership or activities. Whistleblowers, including former SSA chief data officer Chuck Borges, say DOGE copied Americans’ sensitive records — including Social Security numbers, dates of birth, parents’ names and work-permit status — into an unsecured cloud lacking verified security controls. An internal SSA risk assessment cited in the report estimated a 35–65% likelihood of a catastrophic breach that could already be known to foreign adversaries. Investigators concluded DOGE exceeded its advisory mandate by making policy and system changes, stymying oversight and giving personnel unfettered data access while some agencies denied having DOGE teams; they also described chaotic headquarters conditions with staff living onsite using Starlink and rows of untracked laptops. Peters’ 44-page report urges immediate audits and steps to rein in DOGE, restore agency and congressional oversight, and protect Americans from identity theft, economic disruption and other harms.