Judge blocks Musk’s access to Treasury records

English , International - بین الاقوامی , Snippets , / Sunday, February 9th, 2025

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A U.S. federal judge has blocked Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) from accessing the personal financial records of millions of Americans held by the Treasury Department.
U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer issued a preliminary injunction on Saturday, ordering Musk and his team to destroy any records they obtained. The ruling follows a lawsuit filed by 19 state attorneys general against the Trump administration, arguing that Musk, as a “special government employee,” and Doge, which is not an official government department, were granted unlawful access.
Musk criticized the ruling on X, calling it “absolutely insane.” He questioned how fraud and waste in government spending could be addressed without examining financial records.
The judge warned that allowing such access could cause “irreparable harm” by exposing sensitive personal data and increasing cybersecurity risks. His order restricts Treasury access to vetted civil servants at the Bureau of Fiscal Services. These restrictions will remain in place until the next court hearing on February 14.
New York Attorney General Letitia James accused the Trump administration of giving Musk “unprecedented access” to confidential data. She stated that her office received over a thousand complaints from concerned citizens fearing privacy violations.
Musk has played a major role in reshaping government agencies during Trump’s second term, with Doge spearheading deep cuts at USAID.