With a sharp twist that could shake up Washington, Elon Musk says the US government intentionally erased terabytes of financial data to hide it as “crime,” but his team recovered it.
Musk, who leads the Office of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the Trump administration, claimed in an audio message released on March 31. He condemned the removal of government’s incompetence and said his team was able to get the files because his team was not secure enough to stop them.
The report comes just two months after the Doge team exposed $100 billion in Medicare and Medicaid fraud and waste.
“The US government deleted terabytes of financial data to cover their crimes, but they don’t understand the technology, so we recovered it,” Musk said in the recording.
Destruction: Elon Musk says someone will be arrested tomorrow to steal a Social Security number of 400,000 and sell the information. pic.twitter.com/vt7cndxzyi
– FinanceLot (@financelancelot) April 1, 2025
He later followed up with X and directly pointed to the US Institute of Peace (USIP), a government-funded organization focusing on conflict resolution. Musk did not clarify whether USIP acted alone or whether other agencies were involved.
Terrabytes of data can represent millions of financial records, from budgets and contracts to payments. If his claims are accurate, it could reveal serious misconduct. However, Musk has not yet released any documentation to support it. Without technical details such as how the data was deleted or how it was recovered, the claim remains within the scope.
The post has sparked a surge in response online, along with users like @Jackstr42679640 and @dukeofsavannah, who praised their ability to overtake what is called a bloated, outdated federal system. But critics see it differently. Some believe it is a statement grabbing another headline from the already on fire department.
Since taking charge of Doge in January, Musk has elicited a backlash for accessing sensitive databases at the Treasury and Social Security Agency. Civil Liberties Group has issued an alarm about privacy concerns, and federal judges have recently restricted Doge’s access to certain financial data. Meanwhile, the White House and USIP have not yet responded to audio or related posts.
Doge has previously made bold claims. Its “receipt wall” site once featured supposed federal savings that were later removed after the de facto error was revealed. That track record raised questions about whether this latest bomb is under scrutiny.
Experts say that recovering terabytes of deleted data is technically possible with the right tools and access, but the evidence is problematic. “If they have products, let’s take a look at them,” said the former HR office, who asked them to remain anonymous. “If not, it’s just noise.”
Meanwhile, Musk critics, including Senator Ron Wyden, have repeatedly warned that his growing influence within the federal system could pose a risk, especially given his global business relationship. However, his supporters argue that moving this way only strengthens the need to disband government waste and secrets.
No evidence has been shared and there is no official response yet, but all tables are in what comes next. It’s real evidence, or another round of political theatre.
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