Washington Post, DOGE Presses to Check Federal Benefits Payments Against IRS Tax Records:

Officials with Elon Musk’s group say they want to search for fraud. Privacy law bars the IRS from disclosing tax information to other parts of the government.

Officials from Elon Musk’s U.S. DOGE Service have expressed interest in using personal tax records to check federal benefits payments for fraud, which would mobilize the IRS to drive the Trump administration’s campaign to cut government spending, according to three people familiar with the situation and records obtained by The Washington Post.

Gavin Kliger and Sam Corcos, DOGE representatives embedded at the tax agency, on Friday asked IRS lawyers to assist in creating an “omnibus” agreement with other federal agencies that would allow a broad swath of federal officials to cross-reference benefits rolls with taxpayer data, the people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe private conversations.

The request prompted significant alarm within the IRS, the people said. By law, taxpayer data is heavily guarded — improper disclosure carries both civil and criminal penalties — and the agency closely polices how other federal officials use its systems, as well. IRS lawyers quickly arrived at the conclusion that DOGE’s request would violate privacy laws, the people said. Federal statute makes it illegal for the IRS to share taxpayer data with other agencies for reasons unrelated to administering taxes. …

The request escalates the Trump administration’s increasing interest in controlling sensitive IRS data. … So far, IRS leaders have rebuffed those inquiries, the people said, but acting commissioner Melanie Krause, who took over at the agency Friday night, has indicated she is interested in complying with DOGE’s requests.

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