Nineteen Democratic attorneys general have filed a lawsuit against former President Donald Trump, aiming to prevent access to Treasury Department records that contain sensitive personal data of millions of Americans by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The legal action, lodged in federal court in New York City, accuses the Trump administration of unlawfully granting Musk’s team access to the Treasury Department’s central payment system.
The payment system is responsible for managing tax refunds, Social Security benefits, and veterans’ benefits, distributing trillions of dollars annually while safeguarding an extensive array of personal financial data.
The White House has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the lawsuit.
Musk’s DOGE was established to identify and eliminate perceived wasteful government spending, but its access to Treasury records has raised alarms among detractors concerned about the expanding influence of Musk. Conversely, supporters argue this could streamline government finances.
Musk has dismissed criticism of DOGE, claiming it is facilitating significant savings for taxpayers.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, who spearheaded the lawsuit, expressed concerns over DOGE’s access to sensitive information, suggesting it could lead to unauthorized freezing of federal funds that Americans depend on for essential services.
“This unelected group, led by the world’s richest man, is not authorized to have this information, and they explicitly sought this unauthorized access to illegally block payments that millions of Americans rely on,” James stated in a video released by her office.
The lawsuit includes support from attorneys general across multiple states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.
The legal filing argues that DOGE’s access to Treasury records could disrupt funding already allocated by Congress, exceeding the Treasury Department’s statutory authority, and violating federal administrative law and the U.S. Constitution’s separation of powers principle.
Additionally, the lawsuit alleges that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent modified departmental policies protecting sensitive personal information to facilitate access for Musk’s team.
“This decision failed to account for legal obligations to protect such data and ignored the privacy expectations of federal fund recipients,” the lawsuit contends.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong characterized the situation as a potential data breach of unprecedented scale, describing DOGE as “an unlawfully constituted band of renegade tech bros combing through confidential records.” Tong questioned the motives and implications of DOGE’s data access.
The Treasury Department maintains that its review is focused on ensuring system integrity, asserting that no modifications are being made. Reports indicate that Musk’s team initially sought information to possibly suspend payments from the U.S. Agency for International Development, which they intend to dismantle.
In parallel, Democratic lawmakers are pushing for a thorough investigation of DOGE’s access to the payment system. Labor unions and advocacy groups are also taking legal action to halt the review process, and a judge has temporarily restricted access for certain employees to read-only privileges.
