Malik Waqar
A federal judge has temporarily blocked Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) from accessing sensitive personal financial data housed within the U.S. Treasury Department, following a legal challenge from 19 state attorneys general.
US District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer issued a preliminary injunction on Saturday, barring Musk’s team from reviewing the records and ordering them to immediately destroy any copies they had obtained. The injunction is the latest development in an ongoing lawsuit filed by the states, which argue that the Trump administration’s decision to grant Doge access to these records violated federal law.
Musk’s initiative, aimed at slashing government costs, has come under scrutiny for its potential to compromise privacy and national security. The lawsuit claims that allowing Musk, a “special government employee,” and Doge, a non-governmental entity, to access personal financial information poses a significant risk to citizens’ privacy and increases the potential for data breaches.
In his reaction to the ruling, Musk described the decision as “absolutely insane” in a post on social media platform X, asking how the initiative could combat fraud and misuse of taxpayer funds without reviewing spending records.
The injunction issued by Judge Engelmayer prevents Musk’s team and other outside personnel from accessing Treasury Department records containing personally identifiable or confidential information. It also restricts access to only civil servants who have passed background checks and require the data for their work.
The ruling comes amid growing concerns about the security of federal data systems, with the court citing “irreparable harm” to states and citizens due to the risk of disclosing sensitive information and the increased vulnerability to cyberattacks.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, a key figure in the legal challenge, condemned the access granted to Musk’s team, accusing the Trump administration of giving Musk and Doge “unprecedented access” to personal data, leading to widespread concern among New Yorkers about potential privacy breaches.
The injunction remains in place until the next court hearing scheduled for February 14.
Musk’s involvement in government reforms, particularly through Doge, has been controversial, with the initiative overseeing significant budget cuts at agencies such as the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which allocates billions of dollars in aid globally.
