A 22 year old representative from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been quietly granted access to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) systems, according to agency officials. While the VA claims this is part of an initiative to improve operations, the move has sparked serious concerns about transparency, privacy, and the unchecked influence of private interests in government affairs.
The individual, whose role has been framed as an efficiency expert reviewing VA contracting and IT infrastructure, reportedly does not have access to veterans’ medical records—according to VA Press Secretary Pete Kasperowicz. However, given the secrecy surrounding DOGE’s access to other federal systems, including the Treasury Department’s databases containing financial data on military personnel and veterans, and the access and abrupt closure of USAID without oversite, skepticism is mounting.
The VA has long been a battleground for reform, with repeated failures in its technology modernization projects, including the disastrously mismanaged electronic health records transition. Now, with an unelected private sector figure inserting operatives into a federal agency, some fear this is less about reform and more about control.
As DOGE’s involvement in government expands, questions linger: How much access does Musk really have? Who is monitoring these so-called efficiency efforts? And most importantly, at what cost to the veterans who rely on the VA for their healthcare and benefits?
At this time, neither the VA nor Musk’s team have provided a clear answer. But one thing is becoming increasingly clear—Elon Musk’s reach into the highest levels of government is deepening, and not everyone is convinced it’s for the right reasons.
