Scott Bessent Grilled on Doge Employees and Vetting Practices by Rep. Glenn Ivey

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Questioned on Doge Employees

• 📌 Rep. Glenn Ivey questioned Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent regarding the involvement of Doge employees at the Treasury Department.
• 🗓️ Bessent confirmed he was sworn in on the 28th and began working at Treasury immediately, with two individuals from Doge also working on-site concerning payment systems.

Allegations Against a Treasury Employee

• 🔍 Ivey raised concerns about a former SpaceX employee, Mark Elles, who was reportedly on site. The Wall Street Journal published statements made by Elles, including racist remarks and advocating for a eugenic immigration policy.
• ⚠️ Bessent stated he did not recall the individual's name but confirmed that the individual was terminated.
• ❓ Ivey pressed on whether the individual was later rehired and continued to do work for Doge across multiple departments, which Bessent stated he did not follow.

Vetting Practices for Payment System Access

• 💰 The core of Ivey's questioning focused on the vetting practices in place before bringing on individuals with access to the $6 trillion payment system.
• 🔒 Bessent clarified that the individuals had read-only abilities and were present for tech support on the ERP system, not direct access to the payment system.
• 🚫 When asked if he would have hired the individual if he had known about the statements, Bessent declined to speculate, citing the difficulty of monitoring social media and deferring to the Office of Personnel Management.

Shift to Taxes and Trade

• 📈 The hearing then shifted focus, with Rep. Loa using his time to discuss taxes and trade, areas where the Treasury Secretary advises the President.