Title: Senior U.S. official exits after rift with Musk allies over payment system

URL Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/01/31/elon-musk-treasury-department-payment-systems/

Published Time: 2025-02-05T21:56:53.630Z

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A top Treasury career staffer, David A. Lebryk, announced his retirement. Surrogates of Musk’s DOGE effort had sought access to sensitive payment systems.

Updated January 31, 2025 More than**1 year ago**

![Image 1](https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/LAPAD3TLTCWBD5W3XZOULK435M_size-normalized.jpg&w=440%20400w)

David A. Lebryk, seen in 2023, had served in nonpolitical roles over several decades at the Treasury Department. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

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Jeff Stein covers economic policy at the White House, the Treasury Department, the Office of Management and Budget and across the administration. Reach him on Signal at jstein_wapo.1066.

The highest-ranking career official at the Treasury Department left the agency after a clash with allies of billionaire Elon Musk over access to sensitive payment systems, according to three people with knowledge of the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private talks.

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What readers are saying

The comments express strong opposition to Elon Musk and his allies gaining access to the Treasury's payment systems, with many viewing it as a dangerous overreach and potential for corruption. Commenters emphasize the importance of keeping such sensitive systems secure and... Show more

This summary is AI-generated. AI can make mistakes and this summary is not a replacement for reading the comments.