The U.S. Treasury said on Tuesday that Elon Musk's government-efficiency team has been granted "read-only access" to its payment system codes but denied that this cut off any government payments including for Social Security or Medicare.

The department said that no payments would be interrupted and that it was conducting a review of the integrity of the system.

Wendy Edelberg of Brookings says "political malpractice" might be a bigger risk to economic stability than the government's massive borrowing.

Musk’s allies repeatedly demanded access to sensitive government payment systems, according to the Washington Post.

WASHINGTON—The Treasury Department said Tuesday that it is conducting an “operational efficiency assessment” of its payment systems and that the agency hasn’t suspended or rejected any payment instructions,

The Treasury Department said Elon Musk aides detailed to the agency have “read-only” access to its sensitive $5 trillion US payments system and that no payments have been suspended or rejected as part of an ongoing review.