1. United States
2. Md.
3. Letter

Stop the coup, preserve democracy The recent decision to grant Elon Musk's "Doge" team full access to the highly sensitive federal payment system is deeply concerning and poses grave risks to national security and individual privacy. This system controls trillions in cash flow, including Social Security, Medicare benefits, government contractor payments, and more. Providing unfettered access to this data trove to Musk's political operatives, who have demonstrated blatant disregard for the law, endangers cybersecurity and creates unacceptable conflicts of interest given Musk's extensive business ties to China. Musk's possession of the personal data of millions of Americans is an egregious violation of privacy rights and a potential avenue for exploitation. His team's ability to monitor and potentially disrupt payments to contractors who compete with Musk's companies is a clear abuse of power for personal gain. This breach of protocols jeopardizes the integrity of critical government systems and the economy itself. Immediate action must be taken to revoke this unauthorized access and hold those responsible for this reckless decision accountable to ensure the sanctity of these databases and the trust of the American people. Unfettered corporate overreach into government operations cannot be tolerated when it so flagrantly undermines national interests.