The highest-ranking career Treasury official resigned after a fight with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency associates over access to sensitive payment systems.
David A. Lebryk, who has served in nonpolitical roles at the Treasury Department since 1989, announced his retirement on Friday, The Washington Post reported. He was appointed as acting treasury secretary by President Donald Trump until Scott Bessent was confirmed on Monday.
Lebryk had a dispute with DOGE officials over access to payment systems that disburse trillions of dollars for government services. DOGE officials have been asking for access to the system since the election. The details of the rift aren’t clear, according to the Post.
The payment system disburses over $6 trillion annually for services like Medicare and Social Security. The system also pays out tax refunds, salaries for federal workers, and payments to government contractors.
Trump’s executive order creating DOGE also granted it “full and prompt access to all unclassified agency records, software systems, and IT systems.”
Lebryk’s departure is likely to be a shock in the Treasury Department, where he served under six presidents and 11 treasury secretaries without issue.
Mark Mazur, who served senior treasury roles during the Obama and Biden administrations, told the Post that the payment system is nonpolitical, and any other use would be unprecedented.
“This is a mechanical job—they pay Social Security benefits, they pay vendors, whatever. It’s not one where there’s a role for nonmechanical things, at least from the career standpoint. Your whole job is to pay the bills as they’re due,” Mazur said. “It’s never been used in a way to execute a partisan agenda… You have to really put bad intentions in place for that to be the case.”
