Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent granted aides of Elon Musk access to a crucial payments system, stirring controversy due to the system's handling of significant funds and sensitive data. This incident highlights the broader concerns regarding transparency in the federal government, particularly under the current administration, which is accused of enabling private interests to influence public policy. The implications are alarming, as it suggests a shift away from elected governance to potential state capture by influential figures like Musk. The overarching question remains who truly runs the government amidst these troubling developments.
On Friday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reportedly granted aides of Elon Musk access to the department's payments system, which handles more than $5 trillion and sensitive data on Social Security and Medicare benefits and grants.
The cumulative effect of these stories offers at best a complicated answer to what should be an uncomplicated question: Who exactly is running the federal government?
The potential that the actual answer is Mr. Musk – the world's richest man – and other unaccountable, unelected, unconfirmed allies cozy with the president raises serious concerns.
Political economists have a name for that: state capture, which occurs when wealthy private interests heavily influence a government, directing policy to benefit themselves.
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