A federal judge has recently issued a temporary restraining order preventing political appointees, special government employees, and other staff members, including those from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), from accessing sensitive data within the Treasury Department. This decision follows a lawsuit filed by 19 state attorneys general, accusing Elon Musk’s DOGE team of illegally accessing confidential Treasury records containing personal and financial information, including Social Security numbers.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer effectively blocks access for political appointees and government employees detailed from other agencies, preventing them from reviewing or retrieving any Treasury Department data, especially payment records that contain personally identifiable information (PII). The ruling also mandates that anyone in these groups who may have accessed this information since the Trump administration took office must immediately destroy all copies of the sensitive data they downloaded.
A court hearing is scheduled for February 14, where attorneys will present arguments regarding a potential preliminary injunction, which could have a long-lasting impact on who can access and handle such confidential information.
The White House and Department of Justice have yet to comment on the ruling, leaving many questions about the federal government’s next steps unanswered.
Earlier this week, another legal challenge was raised in Washington, where a group of union members and retirees filed a lawsuit against the government, claiming that DOGE’s access to Treasury data violated privacy laws. The Trump administration had previously agreed to restrict most DOGE staffers’ access to this sensitive data, limiting it only to two individuals, Tom Krause and Marko Elez. However, Elez faced a separate scandal after his past social media posts, which promoted racist and eugenicist views, were exposed. Despite this, Vice President JD Vance defended Elez, arguing that past online actions shouldn’t ruin his life, prompting Elon Musk to reinstate him at DOGE.
This controversy underscores the growing concerns over privacy, government transparency, and the influence of private individuals in handling sensitive federal data. With ongoing litigation and public backlash, the situation will likely evolve in the coming weeks, with potentially significant implications for how government data is accessed and protected moving forward.