A federal decide on Saturday quickly blocked Elon Musk’s controversial Division of Authorities Effectivity from accessing delicate data held by the Treasury Division, citing a danger of “irreparable harm.”
The choice got here at some point after New York Lawyer Common Letitia James introduced {that a} multistate coalition of AGs had filed a lawsuit towards the Trump administration for illegally granting the president’s “unelected billionaire friend” unauthorized entry to the Treasury Division’s central cost system.
Based on the lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal courtroom, Trump’s transfer would permit Musk and members of DOGE to overview thousands and thousands of People’ private info, together with tax returns, Social Safety numbers and checking account particulars, in violation of federal legislation. James claims DOGE needs to make use of the data to chop important companies, from well being care to training.
“President Trump does not have the power to give away Americans’ private information to anyone he chooses,” James stated Friday. “Musk and DOGE have no authority to access Americans’ private information and some of our country’s most sensitive data.”
James was joined within the lawsuit by the Democratic AGs of 18 different states, together with New Jersey, Connecticut and California.
Connecticut Lawyer Common William Tong stated it was not clear what DOGE is doing with the data within the Treasury system, however known as it “the largest data breach in American history.”
“DOGE is an unlawfully constituted band of renegade tech bros combing through confidential records, sensitive data and critical payment systems. What could go wrong?” he stated in a press release Friday.
On Saturday, U.S. District Choose Paul Engelmayer sided with the attorneys common, citing “the risk that the new policy presents of the disclosure of sensitive and confidential information, and the heightened risk that the systems in question will be more vulnerable than before to hacking.”
Engelmayer, an Obama appointee, ordered Musk and anybody else unlawfully given entry to the system since Jan. 20 to “immediately destroy any and all copies of material downloaded from the Treasury Department’s records.”
Engelmayer set a listening to for Feb. 14.
This morning, we received a courtroom order blocking Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, from accessing People’ personal knowledge.
Musk and his DOGE staff should destroy all data they’ve obtained.
I’ve stated it earlier than, and I will say it once more: nobody is above the legislation. https://t.co/2lCS2FD1MT
Early Saturday morning, James took to the Musk-owned social media platform X to have a good time the victory.
“This morning, we won a court order blocking Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, from accessing Americans’ private data,” James wrote. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: no one is above the law.”
Earlier this week, Congressional Democratic leaders moved to bar DOGE from having access to the delicate info.
Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries and his Senate counterpart, Minority Chief Chuck Schumer, introduced laws Thursday aimed toward stopping “unlawful meddling by DOGE or other entities in the Treasury Department’s payment system.”
Elon Musk, left, and Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries. (AP)
“Why does Elon Musk and his minions need access to the names, Social Security numbers, addresses, birthdates and bank account information of millions of Americans?” Jeffries requested at a press convention.
The Brooklyn Democrat slammed Musk’s transfer as a “power grab.”
A Treasure Division spokesperson didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark Saturday afternoon.
Initially Revealed: February 8, 2025 at 4:03 PM EST
