In the US, a federal judge has blocked Elon Muskʼs Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing Treasury Department records that contain sensitive personal data, such as the Social Security and bank account numbers of millions of Americans.
The Associated Press writes about this.
The US District Judge Paul Engelmayer issued a preliminary injunction after 19 Democratic attorneys general sued President Donald Trump.
The lawsuit alleges that DOGE’s access to Treasury records could interfere with funding already appropriated by Congress and exceeds the Treasury Department’s legal authority. The case also alleges that DOGE’s access violates federal administrative law and the separation of powers doctrine enshrined in the US Constitution.
The payment system processes tax refunds, Social Security payments, veterans benefits and more, sending trillions of dollars each year, and contains a sprawling web of Americansʼ personal and financial data.
Engelmayer, who was appointed by President Barack Obama, also said that anyone who has been denied access to classified information since January 20 must immediately destroy all copies of materials downloaded from Treasury Department systems.
- Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE, was created to identify and eliminate what the Trump administration considers wasteful government spending. DOGE’s access to Treasury Department records and scrutiny of various government agencies has raised widespread concerns among critics about Musk’s growing power, while his supporters have supported the idea of reining in bloated government finances.
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