Judge Blocks DOGE’s Access to Treasury Systems

A federal judge has restricted Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing the Treasury Department’s payment and data systems, The New York Times reports.

US District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer ordered DOGE officials to “destroy any and all copies of material downloaded from the Treasury Department’s records and systems,” citing the risk of “irreparable harm.”

DOGE is an unofficial entity created by the Trump administration to modernize “federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity,” under the leadership of Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk. Last week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent gave DOGE team members access to the Treasury’s system, which disbursed more than $5 trillion in 2024, the Times says.

The move to block access follows New York Attorney General Letitia James and 13 other Democratic state attorneys general filing a lawsuit earlier this week, claiming “the expanded access policy poses huge cybersecurity risks,” including the potential for Americans’ data to be used illegally or for AI training.

“This level of access for unauthorized individuals is unlawful, unprecedented, and unacceptable,” AG James said in the filing.

Musk’s response: James “just wants the fraud & waste to continue.”

On the Treasury system access, the US will need to argue its case on Feb. 14 before Judge Jeannette A. Vargas, who will handle the case on a permanent basis, Judge Engelmayer said. The Times notes it’s unclear “when or if” DOGE will fully comply, though the judge’s order calls for an immediate pause.

DOGE’s access to the vital systems has been denounced by many other prominent political figures, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who has called for an independent investigation into DOGE. The cost-cutting project has also been dogged by a number of other recent controversies, including the case of 25-year-old staffer Marko Elez, who resigned after The Wall Street Journal published a string of racist posts from his X account. (Musk and VP JD Vance defended Elez online.)

Other groups, including unions representing federal workers and retirees, have also filed suits alleging that DOGE was given illegal access to their sensitive personal data. Trump doesn’t seem too concerned. In a recent news conference, he said he told Musk to “check out education” and “to check out the Pentagon,” saying he’s “very proud” of DOGE’s team.

On X, Musk argued that “the @DOGE team, at the direction of the President & his leadership team, is making great progress improving the efficiency of how your tax dollars are spent. I am confident that almost any fully informed American will be happy with the results.”

About Will McCurdy

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I’m a reporter covering weekend news. Before joining PCMag in 2024, I picked up bylines in BBC News, The Guardian, The Times of London, The Daily Beast, Vice, Slate, Fast Company, The Evening Standard, The i, TechRadar, and Decrypt Media.

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