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Nevilledog

(53,448 posts)
Sun Feb 2, 2025, 05:39 PM Sunday

Musk vows to cancel grants after gaining access to US Treasury payment system

https://www.ft.com/content/27ba0a6a-0d9b-4e08-8329-730b581c0481

No paywall link
https://archive.li/HSZYb

*snip*

Musk’s comments came after David Lebryk, who had spent more than 36 years in government and had briefly run the Treasury while Bessent was awaiting confirmation, resigned abruptly on Friday. Lebryk was responsible for overseeing the operation of the department’s financial infrastructure.

The extent of DOGE’s access to the payments system appeared to be laid bare on Sunday by Musk, who responded to a post on X which contained a spreadsheet showing payments to a number of Lutheran charities.

The spreadsheet was posted by Mike Flynn, Trump’s former national security adviser, who was pardoned in 2020 after pleading guilty to lying about his contacts with Russians.

Flynn claimed that the screenshots showed “there are MANY more organisations cashing in on our hard-earned money”, adding: “These entities are receiving huge sums, which raises serious questions about how taxpayer funds are being spent and who’s benefiting.”

Musk responded saying “The @DOGE team is rapidly shutting down these illegal payments”. It is unclear whether the billionaire, who has yet to take an official role within government, would have the legal authority to do so.

*snip*

20 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Musk vows to cancel grants after gaining access to US Treasury payment system (Original Post) Nevilledog Sunday OP
"have the legal authority to do so" Takket Sunday #1
This is theft, pure and simple. They all should be arrested CurtEastPoint Sunday #2
There is no one left in the federal government who enforces the law against GOP criminals. Irish_Dem Sunday #5
...at least. B.See Sunday #7
WHO THE FUCK ELECTED THIS GUY Skittles Sunday #3
Musk tells Trump cancel these payments. Frasier Balzov Sunday #4
The nerve of these people to bitch about "unelected bureaucrats". What the hell does that make him? OrlandoDem2 Sunday #6
Lock him up. enough Sunday #8
Wait until they get access to the Pentagon and CIA Klarkashton Sunday #9
It's time we start treating Elon Musk the same way we treated Osama Bin Laden. Initech Sunday #10
Those damn Lutherans, running those pesky soup kitchens and food banks questionseverything Sunday #11
Apparently we have 2 treasury secretaries? bronxiteforever Sunday #12
Who thinks he will allow ANY payments Bettie Sunday #13
I'm telling my Senators and Rep I want every cent of my sinkingfeeling Sunday #14
Kick dalton99a Sunday #15
Lutheran charities ? TubbersUK Sunday #16
It depends on which denomination of Lutheranism it is. tanyev Sunday #17
Thanks TubbersUK Sunday #18
Found it. tanyev Sunday #20
Pure bull shyte. LoisB Sunday #19

Takket

(22,778 posts)
1. "have the legal authority to do so"
Sun Feb 2, 2025, 05:41 PM
Sunday

The media keeps asking the wrong question. It doesn't matter if he has legal authority. it matters if anyone WILL DO ANYTHING about it if he does not. The answer to that is in the hands of drumpf and Bondi.

Irish_Dem

(63,019 posts)
5. There is no one left in the federal government who enforces the law against GOP criminals.
Sun Feb 2, 2025, 05:47 PM
Sunday

They wouldn't even do it before Trump rigged the election.

Frasier Balzov

(3,799 posts)
4. Musk tells Trump cancel these payments.
Sun Feb 2, 2025, 05:46 PM
Sunday

Trump trusts Musk and cancels them.

What is the next move, and who has standing or authority to take it?

Military?

If the military is backing Trump, then that's checkmate.

OrlandoDem2

(2,423 posts)
6. The nerve of these people to bitch about "unelected bureaucrats". What the hell does that make him?
Sun Feb 2, 2025, 05:48 PM
Sunday

Initech

(103,300 posts)
10. It's time we start treating Elon Musk the same way we treated Osama Bin Laden.
Sun Feb 2, 2025, 05:58 PM
Sunday

But how do we get the word out? Too many in this country are distracted by the shiny objects on Fox Pravda to notice.

bronxiteforever

(9,819 posts)
12. Apparently we have 2 treasury secretaries?
Sun Feb 2, 2025, 06:00 PM
Sunday

One not confirmed and without an fbi background check? There is no accounting of what he is doing or a list of programs. Is musk getting a piece of every grant he approves and why aren’t members of Congress
Screaming these questions?

Bettie

(17,640 posts)
13. Who thinks he will allow ANY payments
Sun Feb 2, 2025, 06:01 PM
Sunday

to go out? I don't.

He thinks it is his money and, remember, if he has control of the payments, he can pay himself.....everything if he chooses to. No one will stop him, he's above the law.

Orange man isn't our dictator, he's the rube, and Eloon is in charge of it all.

sinkingfeeling

(53,802 posts)
14. I'm telling my Senators and Rep I want every cent of my
Sun Feb 2, 2025, 06:01 PM
Sunday

taxes to stop being given to Musk's f**king companies. Stop every single subsidy to any corporation. End them immediately.

TubbersUK

(1,461 posts)
16. Lutheran charities ?
Sun Feb 2, 2025, 06:23 PM
Sunday

Are Lutheran congregations likely to lean conservative or liberal?

I'm wondering what the chances are of the Musk/DOME hijack pissing off some Republicans.

tanyev

(45,216 posts)
17. It depends on which denomination of Lutheranism it is.
Sun Feb 2, 2025, 06:38 PM
Sunday

I wish someone would post Flynn’s tweet because I’m curious, too. If it’s the denomination I grew up in, the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, then they’re hitting their finding out stage.

In the 70s-80s, my impression was that they were theologically conservative, but strongly committed to staying out of the political arena. That started changing in the 90s and in the 2000s, under the leadership of the man who’s still synodical president, they got very cozy with right wing politics, evangelicals and Catholics.

tanyev

(45,216 posts)
20. Found it.
Sun Feb 2, 2025, 10:00 PM
Sunday

The agency is Lutheran Social Services, which is actually a cooperative effort of the ELCA (more liberal) and the LCMS. Here’s a good summary.

https://clintschnekloth.substack.com/p/musk-and-flynns-attack-on-lutheran

Haven’t seen an official statement from the LCMS yet.

LoisB

(9,314 posts)
19. Pure bull shyte.
Sun Feb 2, 2025, 06:55 PM
Sunday

"He justified the move by claiming his team discovered “that payment approval officers at Treasury were instructed always to approve payments, even to known fraudulent or terrorist groups”.

How much are the payments eLoon receives?

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