Federal Judge Restricts Elon Musk's DOGE From Accessing Sensitive US Treasury Information

A federal judge issued an order early Saturday blocking Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing sensitive Treasury Department records, which include personal data such as Social Security and bank account numbers for millions of Americans.

The ruling came after 19 Democratic attorneys general filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump. The case, brought before a federal court in New York City, claims the Trump administration improperly granted Musk's team access to the Treasury Department's central payment system, violating federal law.

This payment system processes tax refunds, Social Security benefits, veterans' benefits, and other crucial services, distributing trillions of dollars annually while storing a vast amount of Americans' personal and financial data.

DOGE Department

Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, was established to identify and eliminate what the Trump administration considers wasteful government spending.

Since its implementation, the task force says it has saved more than $1 billion by canceling diversity, equity and inclusion contracts, among other expenses, according to DOGE's social media account.

According to social media posts from DOGE and Musk, the task force is seeking to identify federal contracts and spending on issues that don't align with Mr. Trump's policies, including DEI and foreign aid. "DOGE has now saved taxpayers over $1 billion in crazy DEI contracts," Musk wrote on Jan. 30.

Musk wrote in a November opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal that he and his then DOGE co-partner Vivek Ramaswamy aimed to cut $500 billion in annual federal spending. That would represent about 7 per cent of the federal government's $6.7 trillion in annual expenditures.