The Fork in the Road: What Will We Do next? After Carstensen’s Final Day at the US Digital Service, Musk and US Digital Services

In an internal meeting following Carstensen’s departure, staff were told that he would not be replaced and that his responsibilities would be spread across the rest of the organization, a source said. Within the meeting, staff members lamented the state of the organization, fearing Carstensen’s departure showed that Musk and his team were in full control.

The sentiment surrounding the refusal of the “fork” deal echoes the one held by the broader USDS staff. “There’s a strong feeling within USDS that people don’t want to take the fork because they don’t want to send the message that they’re somehow accepting or approving of the larger plan,” a USDS source said.

“This was not an easy decision for me to make as my time at the US Digital Service has been one of the best periods in my career. I believe wholeheartedly in the mission and have been inspired every day by the commitment, kindness, and intelligence of the team,” Carstensen wrote. “It was important for me to get the team to a place where everyone could choose their own path forward, which is where we find ourselves today. I hope each of you lands on the path that’s best for you, and I look forward to staying in touch and seeing where it takes you.”

In a resignation email seen by WIRED, he confirmed that Thursday was his final day. The deferred resignation offer that had been called “the fork” after Fork in the Road email federal workers received last week would not be offered to him, he said.

Marko Elez’s access to the Treasury and BFS financial systems violates the DOE/WHO investigation of IRS actions in 2024

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The White House and Treasury have denied the reports, but WIRED claims that the code of payment systems was able to be read and rewritten by DOGE technologists. Marko Elez, one of a number of young men identified by WIRED who have little to no government experience but are associated with DOGE, was granted read and write privileges on two of the most sensitive systems in the US government: the Payment Automation Manager and Secure Payment System at the BFS, an agency that according to Treasury records paid out $5.45 trillion in fiscal year 2024.

Without new directives, USDS sources tell WIRED they’ve been operating as if things are “business as usual,” continuing work on long-term projects that have carried over from President Joe Biden’s administration.

One source told WIRED that the fact that they didn’t show up shows that they didn’t care about us. We wait for them to come but they don’t.

The Department of Government Efficiency has built a “firewall” separating Elon Musk’s team from the 200 or so legacy workers employed by what was previously called the United States Digital Service (USDS), sources tell WIRED.

In a letter to Treasury secretary Scott Bessent on February 7, Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon said that “Treasury’s refusal to provide straight answers about DOGE’s actions, as well as its refusal to provide a briefing requested by several Senate committees only heightens my suspicions” and requested that Bessent provide the logs of Elez and any other DOGE-affiliated personnel regarding their access to the Treasury’s systems.

Musk’s space company and X, Musk’s social media company are where Elez used to work. The Wall Street Journal inquired with the White House about Elez’ deleted social-media account that advocated for racism and Eugenics. Elez did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Treasury Claims That Payment System Data Cannot be Obtained Without Written Constraints From a Threat Intelligence Team

The email also details this week’s Treasury lawsuit, which resulted in a federal judge granting an order on February 6 to temporarily restrict DOGE staffers from accessing and altering payment system information.

The recommendations were part of a weekly report sent out by the BFS threat intelligence team to hundreds of staffers. The threat intelligence team typically covers inside threats, according to a source. They haven’t identified something inside the bureau that is a threat to the public.