Three DOGE members raise access concerns at US Energy Department, sources say

By Timothy Gardner

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Members of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency have started working at the U.S. Energy Department where officials are concerned that they could get access to personnel files and information about disbursement of federal grants, two sources said on Friday.

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who was confirmed this week by the Senate, told CNBC on Friday that three DOGE members are at the department and "have access to look around, talk to people and give us some good feedback on how things are going."

Wright said they are "friends in Elon's broader circle."

Wright said the DOGE members do not have security clearances and are not looking at nuclear weapons secrets. The department's National Nuclear Security Administration is in charge of maintaining the U.S. nuclear weapons complex and labs.

Two sources, one career worker and a former official in contact with workers at the department, said one DOGE member has been working in the office of the chief information officer, and that all three are listed in department's email and messaging systems.

The sources said one of the DOGE members at the department is Luke Farritor, a former intern at SpaceX, Musk's space company.

"They may not have clearances, but it certainly seems like they can access secure information," one of the sources said.

Officials are concerned that the DOGE members will have access to computer drives and human resources systems, data on grants and loans on energy projects and financial management systems.

One of the sources said they have not heard any concerns related to the NNSA, but it was uncertain whether they could eventually gain access to data from that branch.

The Department of Energy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Efforts to reach Farritor were unsuccessful.

(Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by Marguerita Choy)