Elon Musk’s DOGE seeks access to taxpayer data at IRS: AP sources

Associated Press ^ | 4:14 PM EST, February 17, 2025 | Fatima Hussein

[Olog-hai]

Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is seeking access to troves of sensitive taxpayer data at the IRS, two people familiar with the inner workings of the plan who were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly told The Associated Press on Monday.

If successful, Musk and his group would have access to millions of tightly controlled files that include taxpayer information, bank records and other sensitive records. The people who spoke to the AP and requested anonymity said DOGE is specifically seeking to access the IRS’ Integrated Data Retrieval System, which enables employees “to have instantaneous visual access to certain taxpayer accounts,” according to the IRS website.

Advocates fear that the potential unlawful release of taxpayer records could be used to maliciously target Americans, violate their privacy and create other ramifications. […]

Democratic lawmakers are trying to fight against DOGE plans to access IRS data. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., sent a letter Monday to acting IRS Commissioner Douglas O’Donnell, demanding copies of any memos that would grant IRS system access to Musk or DOGE. The senators are also seeking justifications for DOGE efforts to inspect tax returns and private bank records. …

[mewzilla]

SEN KENNEDY: “It strikes me as breathtakingly ironic that that the people who are screaming so loudly about President Trump's decision to audit federal spending— are the very same people who wanted to hire 80,000 new IRS agents with guns to audit the American people." COME AND TAKE IT

[rigelkentaurus]

DOGE, I expect is looking for and will find fraudulent tax returns with fraudulent SSNs getting billions in refunds If 35% of SS payments are fraud, why would they not also file to get a fraudulent tax refund.

[Arcadian Empire]

1. The Deep State stooges already have access to that data
2. Elon and his team of DOGE geniuses are looking for systemic waste and incongruities that may be indicative of misuse of funds by the Deep State stooges

[TigerClaws]

So AP - funding by U.S. taxpayers through USAID - is running an article critical of the man Trump appointed to audit the waste of our tax dollars?

Got it!

[Arcadian Empire]

The Democrat grifters are not looking to protect anything EXECPT for their slush funds.

[marktwain]

AP is so... twentieth century.

AP is dying as part of the Mediacracy...

[MNDude]

it’ll be interesting to see the tax refund for the SSN that is in the database 10,000 times.

[falcon99]

Sorry, the AP has lost all credibility as a news source, especially when they quote “anonymous” people with inside information. They aren’t looking for individual information but information like six people filing under the same SSN or dead people filing returns. But of course, since th AP isn’t allowed on AF One or in the Oval Office because of their corrupt reporting, they must get back at Trump. Pathetic POS.s

[Olog-hai]

That’s why I put this in the smoky backroom forum.

[maddog55]

17 August 2024: 2.9 billion records, including Social Security numbers, stolen in data hack.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2024/08/15/social-security-hack-national-public-data-breach/74807903007/

11 times the US government got hacked in 2023

https://www.csoonline.com/article/2145769/11-times-the-us-government-got-hacked-in-2023.html

I’m not worried about Musk and DODGE... The government is worse at handing out personal information or letting hackers get it.

[pburiak]

Here is the news cycle for this subject

1. “There is no fraud at the IRS, that’s just right wing misinformation.”

2. “The IRS fraud is just isolated and immaterial.”

3. “Here’s why IRS fraud actually helps the American people.”

[lapsus calami]

 

 

They're vainly trying to set a narrative to stir up hysterics among the public with. The old class warfare shtick is getting dusted off, polished up and brought back out for more gaslighting work.

 

 

[Wish2Post]

From Elon Musk via his posting a reply to Sen. Fetterman on X:

https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1891557463377490431

“Bruh, if I wanted to rummage through random personal shit, I could have done that at PAYPAL. Hello???

Having tens of millions of people marked in Social Security as “ALIVE” when they are definitely dead is a HUGE problem.”

I guess Fetterman (and many others) have forgotten that Musk was one of the founders of PayPal.

SO, are all these folks in great fear going to cancel their PayPal accounts?

[MNJohnnie]

A Federal employee with the correct clearances working for DOGE is no different then an IRS employee having the same access.

More hysteric bombast, and posturing, by the Government funded media who do not want their corrupt pipeline to the US Treasury cut off.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Associated Press, Daily Mail, Washington Post, NYTimes...why even post that shite here? It’s all lies and misinformation. Designed for one thing only. And if there are print versions....line the bottom of your bird cages with it.

[Real Cynic No More]

I don’t know about everyone else on here, but I think I’ll trust Musk and his DOGE group a whole lot more with any of my personal data contained by the IRS than any regular IRS employee!

[Wilderness Conservative]

Big Balls has already been in for a week or more.

[Flaming Conservative]

Fine by me.

[Eli Kopter]

two people familiar with the inner workings of the plan who were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly -

If the two people were even real, are they still working at IRS? Why or why not?