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A protester wears a sticker with a crossed-out "Elon" symbol during a rally in front of the U.S. Treasury Department in Washington, D.C., on February 4, 2025. Demonstrators gathered to protest Musk's access to the Treasury's payment system, which stores the private information of millions of Americans.
(Photo by Hossein Fatemi / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP)
'No One Is Above the Law': Judge Blocks Musk Wrecking Crew From Treasury Payment System
New York Attorney General Letitia James, who led 19 state AGs in filing a suit, said the emergency order will keep "the world’s richest man... from accessing Americans' private data."
Feb 08, 2025
A federal judge early Saturday morning blocked Elon Musk's highly controversial Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, from further access to a sensitive and closely guarded Treasury Department payment system, warning of "irreparable harm" presented by the threat to the personal and financial data of millions of Americans.
In an emergency order that followed from a lawsuit filed by 19 state attorneys general on Friday, U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer said the Treasury Dept., in addition to suspending Musk and his team from access, must "immediately destroy any and all copies of material downloaded from the Treasury Department's records and systems, if any."
In the coalition's lawsuit, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, the states argued that allowing DOGE personnel—who have been characterized as far-right libertarian "goons" and a "demolition crew" intent on gutting federal agencies from the inside out—access to the Treasury system was unlawful in the first place and could give them the ability "to block federal funds to states and programs providing health care, childcare, and other critical services"—none of which they are authorized to do.
Judge Engelmayer, in his decision, said the named defendants in the suit—President Donald Trump, his Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and the Treasury Department—will be compelled to show cause at a hearing on Feb. 14 before a separate judge presiding over an existing challenge to DOGE's access to the system.
In a statement following the ruling, James said: "This morning, we won a court order blocking Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, from accessing Americans' private data. Musk and his DOGE employees must destroy all records they've obtained. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: no one is above the law."
Under the order, as the Washington Postreports, "the Trump administration is prohibited from giving access to political appointees, special government employees or government employees that are not assigned to the Treasury Department."
On Friday, Wiredreported that an internal agency at Treasury had assessed the DOGE personnel place inside the department as "an insider threat."
"There is ongoing litigation, congressional legislation, and widespread protests relating to DOGE's access to Treasury and the Bureau of the Fiscal Service," reads a section of an email from the internal agency reviewed by the news outlet.
"If DOGE members have any access to payment systems," the email continued, "we recommend suspending that access immediately and conducting a comprehensive review of all actions they may have taken on these systems."
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
department of government efficiencydogedonald trumpelon muskletitia jamesscott bessentspecial government employeestreasury departmenttrump administration
A federal judge early Saturday morning blocked Elon Musk's highly controversial Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, from further access to a sensitive and closely guarded Treasury Department payment system, warning of "irreparable harm" presented by the threat to the personal and financial data of millions of Americans.
In an emergency order that followed from a lawsuit filed by 19 state attorneys general on Friday, U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer said the Treasury Dept., in addition to suspending Musk and his team from access, must "immediately destroy any and all copies of material downloaded from the Treasury Department's records and systems, if any."
In the coalition's lawsuit, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, the states argued that allowing DOGE personnel—who have been characterized as far-right libertarian "goons" and a "demolition crew" intent on gutting federal agencies from the inside out—access to the Treasury system was unlawful in the first place and could give them the ability "to block federal funds to states and programs providing health care, childcare, and other critical services"—none of which they are authorized to do.
Judge Engelmayer, in his decision, said the named defendants in the suit—President Donald Trump, his Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and the Treasury Department—will be compelled to show cause at a hearing on Feb. 14 before a separate judge presiding over an existing challenge to DOGE's access to the system.
In a statement following the ruling, James said: "This morning, we won a court order blocking Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, from accessing Americans' private data. Musk and his DOGE employees must destroy all records they've obtained. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: no one is above the law."
Under the order, as the Washington Postreports, "the Trump administration is prohibited from giving access to political appointees, special government employees or government employees that are not assigned to the Treasury Department."
On Friday, Wiredreported that an internal agency at Treasury had assessed the DOGE personnel place inside the department as "an insider threat."
"There is ongoing litigation, congressional legislation, and widespread protests relating to DOGE's access to Treasury and the Bureau of the Fiscal Service," reads a section of an email from the internal agency reviewed by the news outlet.
"If DOGE members have any access to payment systems," the email continued, "we recommend suspending that access immediately and conducting a comprehensive review of all actions they may have taken on these systems."
From Your Site Articles
- Unions Sue to Revoke Musk Cronies' Access to Critical Payment System ›
- DOGE Goon Given Access to Treasury Payment System Resigns After Racist Eugenics Remarks Revealed ›
- Top Treasury Official Out as Musk Cronies Demand Access to Payment System That Funnels Trillions in US Funds ›
- 'It's a Coup': Musk's DOGE Granted Access to Treasury System That Pays Out Social Security ›
- 'Deeply Concerned' Dems Want to Know If DOGE Can Access Nuclear Weapons Data | Common Dreams ›
- Judge Rules Musk's DOGE Acted Unconstitutionally by Dismantling USAID | Common Dreams ›
A federal judge early Saturday morning blocked Elon Musk's highly controversial Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, from further access to a sensitive and closely guarded Treasury Department payment system, warning of "irreparable harm" presented by the threat to the personal and financial data of millions of Americans.
In an emergency order that followed from a lawsuit filed by 19 state attorneys general on Friday, U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer said the Treasury Dept., in addition to suspending Musk and his team from access, must "immediately destroy any and all copies of material downloaded from the Treasury Department's records and systems, if any."
In the coalition's lawsuit, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, the states argued that allowing DOGE personnel—who have been characterized as far-right libertarian "goons" and a "demolition crew" intent on gutting federal agencies from the inside out—access to the Treasury system was unlawful in the first place and could give them the ability "to block federal funds to states and programs providing health care, childcare, and other critical services"—none of which they are authorized to do.
Judge Engelmayer, in his decision, said the named defendants in the suit—President Donald Trump, his Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and the Treasury Department—will be compelled to show cause at a hearing on Feb. 14 before a separate judge presiding over an existing challenge to DOGE's access to the system.
In a statement following the ruling, James said: "This morning, we won a court order blocking Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, from accessing Americans' private data. Musk and his DOGE employees must destroy all records they've obtained. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: no one is above the law."
Under the order, as the Washington Postreports, "the Trump administration is prohibited from giving access to political appointees, special government employees or government employees that are not assigned to the Treasury Department."
On Friday, Wiredreported that an internal agency at Treasury had assessed the DOGE personnel place inside the department as "an insider threat."
"There is ongoing litigation, congressional legislation, and widespread protests relating to DOGE's access to Treasury and the Bureau of the Fiscal Service," reads a section of an email from the internal agency reviewed by the news outlet.
"If DOGE members have any access to payment systems," the email continued, "we recommend suspending that access immediately and conducting a comprehensive review of all actions they may have taken on these systems."
From Your Site Articles
- Unions Sue to Revoke Musk Cronies' Access to Critical Payment System ›
- DOGE Goon Given Access to Treasury Payment System Resigns After Racist Eugenics Remarks Revealed ›
- Top Treasury Official Out as Musk Cronies Demand Access to Payment System That Funnels Trillions in US Funds ›
- 'It's a Coup': Musk's DOGE Granted Access to Treasury System That Pays Out Social Security ›
- 'Deeply Concerned' Dems Want to Know If DOGE Can Access Nuclear Weapons Data | Common Dreams ›
- Judge Rules Musk's DOGE Acted Unconstitutionally by Dismantling USAID | Common Dreams ›
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