Rep. Maxine Waters, D-C.A., let the truth slip about her concerns over the Department of Government Efficiency’s federal audit when she pressed Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell during a House Financial Services Committee hearing on February 12.
During the exchange, Waters questioned Powell about potential contact with Elon Musk and DOGE’s access to Federal Reserve data — and openly worried that she doesn’t “know what they have on us.”
“When Musk comes knocking at the Fed’s door, are you going to let him in?” Waters asked Powell.
Powell responded, “I don’t have anything for you on that.”
Powell stated that there had been no contact with Musk’s team.
“So we don’t, I don’t have any, we’ve had no contact and I don’t really have, I have nothing for you to report today on that.”
Waters then referenced recent developments at other federal agencies, expressing concerns about data privacy. “Well, you know what happened at Treasury and you know what happened over at the CFPB and the people of this country are being violated because all of our privacy is being taken up by Elon Musk and Trump,” Waters complained.
“And we don’t know what all they have on us, our bank accounts, everything in our lives,” she said.
Take a look —
Deranged Maxine Waters badgers Jerome Powell about DOGE; lets the real worry slip:
“We don’t know what all they have on us." pic.twitter.com/YmKfnYk7jw
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) February 13, 2025
Musk himself shared the bombshell truth slipup on his social media account, slowing down the exact moment.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 13, 2025
The eyeopening exchange occurred during a broader hearing focused on Federal Reserve oversight and monetary policy.
Waters, who serves on the House Financial Services Committee, has previously raised concerns about oversight of congressional financial history in the past.
The California Democrat has seen her wealth pile up since taking office. She is worth millions of dollars and lives in a luxury multimillion dollar mansion outside her district, despite making approximately $170,000 a year in congressional salary.