A federal judge has ordered a preliminary injunction to halt unauthorized access to sensitive information by Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), following a lawsuit filed by a coalition of 19 state attorneys general, including Attorney General Brown.
The lawsuit, initiated on February 7 by Attorney General Brown and his counterparts, alleges that the Trump administration illegally granted DOGE access to the Treasury Department’s central payment system. This breach potentially exposed Americans’ social security numbers and bank account details.
Judge Jeannette Vargas of the Southern District of New York issued the order on February 22, preventing the government from allowing unauthorized personnel, including Musk, to access the Treasury’s central payment system while the lawsuit continues.
The preliminary injunction follows a temporary restraining order (TRO) issued on February 8, which blocked further access and demanded the destruction of any records already obtained by DOGE.
The coalition includes the attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai‛i, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin. They argue that the unauthorized access poses a severe risk to the privacy and security of American citizens.
