On Friday, a federal judge in New York issued a preliminary injunction preventing Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing the Treasury Department’s central payment system. The case, initiated by 19 attorneys general led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, has raised concerns about the security of personal financial information, including Social Security and bank account data, that could be compromised by any unauthorized access.
U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas’s ruling temporarily extends a previous access ban set by Judge Paul Engelmayer. While Vargas expressed concerns over potential disclosure of states’ bank records, she noted that the plaintiffs had not sufficiently proven their case for broader relief. Musk reacted strongly to the ruling, even calling for Engelmayer’s impeachment, reflecting the contentious nature of the ongoing legal battle over government spending reforms.
