A federal judge early on Saturday prevented Elon Musk’s “department of government efficiency” ( Doge ) from accessing Treasury Department records that contain sensitive personal information, including social security and bank account numbers for millions of Americans.
Following the lawsuit against Donald Trump by 19 Democrat prosecutors general, US district judge Paul A. Engelmayer issued the preliminary order. The ‘s group allegedly had access to the bank department’s key pay program in violation of federal law, according to the lawsuit filed in federal court in New York city.
The payment system receives trillions of dollars annually while containing an extensive network of Americans ‘ personal and financial data, including tax refunds, social security benefits, veterans ‘ benefits, and many other things.
Anyone who is prohibited from having access to the delicate knowledge since January 20th, according to Engelmayer, who was appointed by Barack Obama, had instantly delete any copies of the material downloaded from bank department systems.
He set a reading for 14 February.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment on the petition being filed right away.
The New York attorney general, Letitia James, whose office filed the lawsuit, said Doge’s access to the bank agency’s information raised safety issues and the possibility of an improper ice in national resources.
In a video message released by her business on Friday, James stated that” this unaccountable group, led by the world’s richest man, is not authorized to have this knowledge. They explicitly sought this unauthorized access to illegally block bills that millions of Americans rely on, including payments for healthcare, care, and other crucial programs.
James, a Democrat who has been one of Trump’s chief antagonists, said the president does not have the power to give away Americans ‘ private information to anyone he chooses, and he cannot cut federal payments approved by Congress.
What the Trump administration deemed to be wasteful government spending was discovered and eliminated by Musk’s Doge. Doge’s access to Treasury Records and his inspection of various government agencies have sparked a lot of concern among critics who question Musk’s growing power, and supporters who support the idea of reining in bloated government finances have sparked a lot of concern.
On his X social media platform, Musk mocked Doge while claiming it saved taxpayers millions of dollars.
States also included in the lawsuit are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.
Doge’s access to the Treasury Records, according to the lawsuit, could obstruct funding that Congress has already authorized, which would be above the treasury department’s statutory authority. Additionally, the case contends that the Doge access is infringed upon US Constitutional Law and the separation of powers principle.
Additionally, it accuses Scott Bessent, the Treasury Secretary, of altering the department’s longstanding security protocol to allow Musk’s Doge team to access its payment systems.
” This decision failed to account for legal obligations to protect such data and ignored the privacy expectations of federal fund recipients”, including states, veterans, retirees and taxpayers, the lawsuit says.
Connecticut’s attorney general, William Tong, said it was not clear what Doge was doing with the information in the treasury systems.
” This is the largest data breach in American history”, Tong said in a statement on Friday. ” Doge is a band of renegade tech bros who have been trawling through sensitive financial records, sensitive data, and critical payment systems.” What could go wrong”?
The Treasury Department has stated that the review was a means of assessing the system’s reliability and that no modifications were being made. According to two people with knowledge of the procedure, Musk’s team began looking into ways to stop USAID, the US agency for international development, from making payments. For fear of reprisals, the two people spoke with the Associated Press.
Separately, Democratic lawmakers are seeking a treasury department investigation of Doge’s access to the government’s payment system.
Additionally, labor unions and advocacy groups have filed lawsuits to stop the payments system review due to legal concerns. A judge in Washington on Thursday temporarily stymied access to two employees who had “read only” rights.