DOGE latest: Citrix supremo has 'read-only' access to US Treasury payment system

CEO of Cloud Software a 'special government employee' probing for Team Elon

The US Treasury has revealed Tom Krause – the chief exec of Citrix and Netscaler owner Cloud Software Group – has "read-only" access to a vital federal government payment system that disburses trillions of dollars annually.

Krause, we're told, is a "special government employee" associated with Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team, which had already gained access to that critical payment system among other federal computer systems. The group is currently rifling through contracts and programs across the board to shut down if deemed by Musk and co to be inefficient or inappropriate.

FYI... Musk was instrumental in the looming shut down of Uncle Sam's USAID, which was coincidentally being probed by its inspector general over the agency's monitoring of Ukraine's use of USAID-provided Starlink terminals. The same Starlink operated by Musk's SpaceX.

In a February 4 letter, the Treasury painted Krause's involvement with its systems as an internal audit on the look out for sub-optimal processes.

"Treasury staff members working with Tom Krause, a Treasury employee, will have read-only access to the coded data of the Fiscal Service's payment systems in order to continue this operational efficiency assessment," the memo by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reads.

That missive is in response to letters that US Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) sent to Bessent, raising concerns about the DOGE team's infiltration of the department.

As widely reported, Musk's DOGE crew of inexperienced techies and others linked to the Tesla tycoon have been granted what's described by Wyden as full access to the Treasury's payments systems, which are responsible for distributing Social Security and Medicare benefits, tax credits, and grants and payments to federal employees and contractors.

The billionaire's associates, with President Trump's blessing, have also drilled into the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the General Services Administration, with the stated intention of rooting out inefficiencies, aka things Musk doesn't approve of.

According to Bessent's letter, Krause was hired by the federal government as an expert-slash-consultant to support an "operational efficiency assessment" of the federal payment systems. As part of this, he is working with "veteran career Treasury officials … in accordance with all standard security, safety, and privacy standards," the letter says.

Now that Krause serves as a special government employee, a role commonly used across administrations, we did wonder if this means he is on leave from his chief executive post. The Register put this to Cloud Software Group and did not receive a response. Krause's access is "similar" to that given to "individuals reviewing Treasury systems, such as auditors," the letter adds.

The letter does not identify others probing the department from within on behalf of DOGE. It's reported Marko Elez also has direct access to the Treasury payment system. Now a DOGE aide, Elez previously worked as an engineer for Musk's SpaceX and X, the social network better known as Twitter.

Working for the Feds while also leading private companies doesn't seem to be much of an issue under Trump 2.0. 

Musk also holds the special government employee designation, and now his DOGE team has this supposedly "read-only" access to payment systems. And, of course, Musk's companies still also receive massive government contracts.

The President wants to save face and downplay the risks as Elon Musk seizes power

When asked about the Treasury Secretary's reply, Senator Wyden told The Register: "I'm sure the Treasury Secretary and the President want to save face and downplay the risks as Elon Musk seizes power, but nothing they're saying is believable or trustworthy. The American people can see what's happening, and Secretary Bessent is asking them not to believe what's playing out right in front of their eyes."

Wyden and Warren both protested the DOGE team's access, right outside of the Treasury Department "where Elon Musk has launched a full scale authoritarian takeover," according to Wyden. "My message to Musk is simple: Get your hands off our money and get the hell out." ®

Editor's note: This article was revised after publication to add further context and links.