House Dems Demand Answers From Trump WH on Musk, DOGE

Several top House Democrats sent letters Tuesday demanding the Trump administration address their concerns that Elon Musk and members of the Department of Government Efficiency have gained access to classified and sensitive information at several executive branch agencies.

"Given the legal requirements to handle classified, sensitive, and personally identifiable information, we seek a swift explanation of how DOGE personnel's intrusion into and access to secure government spaces, data, and information systems comport with U.S. law and national security interests," stated a letter written by seven ranking members of House committees to Trump. "DOGE's current approach appears to pose enormous risks to national security and to the privacy and civil liberties of Americans."

That letter was signed by Democrat Reps. Jim Hines of Connecticut, ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee; Gregory Meeks of New York (Foreign Affairs); Adam Smith of Washington (Armed Services); Gerald Connolly of Virginia (Oversight); Jamie Raskin of Maryland (Judiciary); Richard Neal of Massachusetts (Ways and Means); and Maxine Waters of California (Financial Services Committee).

Connolly and Rep. Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, ranking member of the Oversight Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation, wrote a letter to Charles Ezell, acting director of the Office of Personnel Management, expressing concerns that Musk and DOGE members ignored cybersecurity and privacy protections and introduced vulnerabilities into information technology systems when they sent an email offering deferred resignation to federal workers.

The OPM is the chief human resources agency and personnel policy manager for the federal government.

"At best, the Trump administration's actions at OPM to date demonstrate gross negligence, severe incompetence, and a chaotic disregard for the security of our government data and the countless services it enables our agencies to provide to the public," the letter by Connolly and Brown stated. "At worst, we fear that Trump administration officials know full well that their actions threaten to break our government and put our citizens at risk of foreign adversaries like China and Russia gaining access to our sensitive data."

On his first day in office, Trump issued an executive order that established DOGE, which replaced the U.S. Digital Service, an agency created in 2012 during the Obama administration with a mission of delivering "a better government experience to people." Trump tasked DOGE to eliminate government waste and propose reforms, and he told reporters Monday that Musk and DOGE "can't do and won't do anything without our approval, and we will give him the approval where appropriate."

Democrat lawmakers fear that Musk and DOGE are gaining too much power in making decisions regarding executive branch agencies. The letter to Trump addresses media reports regarding DOGE gaining access to the offices of the U.S. Agency for International Development "on a weekend day and without advanced notice or coordination."

"We also understand that members of your administration subsequently placed security officials and others at USAID on administrative leave because of their efforts to follow established security procedures and prevent the unauthorized access of classified U.S. government information without the necessary security clearances," the letter stated.

A firestorm has erupted over USAID since Trump and Musk have talked about dismantling the agency following Trump's executive order that paused all U.S. foreign assistance funded by or through the State Department and USAID. Trump has since named Secretary of State Marco Rubio acting administrator of USAID.

Both letters requested documents to be produced and questions posed by lawmakers answered by Feb. 14. The letter by Connolly and Brown also asked for responses to questions regarding "the severity of reported cybersecurity and privacy violations" be delivered by Feb. 18.

Newsmax reached out to the White House for comment.