A federal judge in Manhattan has temporarily blocked Elon Musk‘s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing the U.S. Treasury Department’s payment system, following a legal challenge spearheaded by New York Attorney General Letitia James and 18 other Democratic attorneys general.
The lawsuit, filed Friday, alleges that the Trump administration’s decision to grant Musk’s DOGE access to Treasury records violates federal laws and poses a massive cybersecurity threat. Less than 24 hours later, Judge Paul Engelmayer issued a temporary restraining order halting DOGE’s access, citing the risk of “irreparable harm” due to the exposure of millions of Americans’ private financial data.
“This morning, we won a court order blocking Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, from accessing Americans’ private data,” James shared in a post on X. “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.”
This morning, we won a court order blocking Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, from accessing Americans’ private data.
— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) February 8, 2025
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. https://t.co/2lCS2FD1MT
The legal battle centers around DOGE’s access to the Treasury’s Bureau of Fiscal Services payment system, which processes federal disbursements such as Social Security benefits, veterans’ payments, and tax refunds. The lawsuit claims DOGE was granted entry into this highly sensitive system without proper oversight or security assessments.
“The States will face irreparable harm from Musk’s efforts because of the risk that the new policy presents of the disclosure of sensitive and confidential information and the heightened risk that the systems in question will be more vulnerable than before to hacking,” Judge Engelmayer said in his ruling.
He also stated that the plaintiffs have a strong case, suggesting that the Trump administration may have overstepped its legal authority in allowing DOGE to access the Treasury’s financial infrastructure.
James has been one of the most vocal critics of Musk’s unprecedented level of influence in the Trump administration. She argues that granting DOGE access to the Treasury system was a backdoor attempt to interfere with federal spending.
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