Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) won a legal victory on Friday when a federal judge denied a request to block the agency from accessing sensitive data from three federal agencies. Unions and nonprofits had raised concerns about the potential exposure of private information.
U.S. District Judge John Bates ruled that DOGE could be considered an agency, allowing it to detail staff to other federal departments. He acknowledged the agency’s unusual structure but ultimately sided with the government in this instance.
Musk celebrated the ruling on X (formerly Twitter) with the caption “LFG” (Let’s f—ing go). DOGE, a temporary entity within the White House, aims to cut government spending and operates under a directive from President Trump’s reelection campaign.
However, concerns remain about DOGE’s access to sensitive information, including records from Musk’s companies. A separate judge extended a temporary block on DOGE accessing payment systems within the Treasury Department, following a lawsuit from 19 state attorneys general.
