Senior USAID pair suspended after refusing Elon Musk's DOGE staff access to secure systems

Two senior officials at the US Agency for International Development (USAID) have been suspended after they tried to stop members of Elon Musk's efficiency team from accessing secure systems, according to reports.

Sky News' US partner NBC News spoke to three sources who said the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team wanted to access some files that were beyond their security level.

These included personnel files and security systems as well as security clearance information for agency employees.

When USAID director of security John Voorhees and his deputy, Brian McGill, refused to allow them in, the DOGE employees threatened to contact the federal Marshals Service, two of the sources said.

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The DOGE employees were eventually able to gain access to the secure systems, but it was not clear what information they were able to obtain.

Both Mr Voorhees and Mr McGill have been placed on administrative leave.

"No classified material was accessed without proper security clearances," Katie Miller, who worked in Donald Trump's first administration and has since joined DOGE, said on X.

Musk posted on X on Sunday, calling for USAID "to die" and accused the independent agency, without offering evidence, of being a "criminal organization".

However, Democrat Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee, told NBC News: "Reports that individuals without appropriate clearance may have accessed classified USAID spaces as well as American citizens' personal information are incredibly serious and unprecedented.

"We are seeking immediate answers about any implications for our national security and are bringing a group of bipartisan Senators together on this as soon as the Senate comes back tomorrow."

The State Department, USAID and Mr Musk did not immediately respond to NBC News requests for comment.

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Mr Musk formed DOGE in cooperation with the Trump administration with the stated goal of finding ways to sack federal workers, cut programmes and cut federal regulations.

USAID, which administers billions of dollars in humanitarian, development and security assistance in more than 100 countries, has been one of the federal agencies most targeted by the Trump administration.

"It's been run by a bunch of radical lunatics. And we're getting them out," President Trump said to reporters about USAID on Sunday night.

Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren said in a post on Sunday that Mr Trump was allowing Mr Musk to access people's personal information and shut down government funding.

"We must do everything in our power to push back and protect people from harm," the Massachusetts senator said, without giving further details.

(c) Sky News 2025: Senior USAID pair suspended after refusing Elon Musk's DOGE staff access to secure systems