Two federal judges are scheduled to rule Friday on Elon Musk’s DOGE team’s bid for access to Treasury payment systems and confidential agency records. Critics, including Democratic attorneys general and labor unions, warn that granting access could jeopardize sensitive personal information and disrupt funding for essential public services in a contentious ruling.
On Friday, two federal courts will debate whether DOGE, Elon Musk’s government cost-cutting group, will have access to payment networks run by the Treasury Department and potentially sensitive data stored by U.S. health, consumer protection, and labor agencies.
After Republican Donald Trump took office last month, he appointed Elon Musk, CEO of electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla, to head the Department of Government Efficiency, which has already swept through many federal agencies in an effort to eliminate unnecessary expenditure.
The Democratic state attorneys general have asked U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas to prolong the temporary block on DOGE that he imposed on Saturday. This block prohibited Musk’s team from accessing Treasury systems that process payments totaling trillions of dollars. The judge will hear their case in Manhattan.
The states claim that the team working with Musk does not have the authority to access the payment systems that store the private information of millions of Americans.
Health clinics, preschools, climate projects, and other federally funded organizations were also named in the lawsuit as potential targets of Musk and his associates, who the plaintiffs claimed may utilize the information for their own political gain.
A union-led effort to block the DOGE team from gaining access to confidential data at HHS, the Labor Department, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is set to be heard by U.S. District Judge John Bates in Washington.
Last week, Bates ruled in favor of the Trump administration by denying a comparable motion.
Following the revisions that were made to their case, the unions have resubmitted their request.
On Thursday, a comparable coalition of Democratic attorneys general claimed that the appointment of Musk violated the Constitution and filed a lawsuit against him, Trump, and DOGE. The attorneys general petitioned a Washington federal court to prevent him from engaging in a number of activities, including but not limited to: accessing and utilizing government data; canceling contracts; and making employment decisions.
Despite the president’s promises to comply with court rulings, Musk and other Trump supporters have called for the impeachment of judges because the courts have blocked the majority of Trump’s projects that have been challenged legally.
The Trump administration has continued with its mass layoffs and severely reduced U.S. foreign aid despite judicial challenges to some of its policies, with the apparent target of these budget cuts being conservative-backed initiatives.
Luis Gochoco is a seasoned managing editor and writer with over a decade of experience covering politics, technology, gaming, and entertainment news. With a keen eye for breaking stories and in-depth analysis, he has established himself as a trusted voice in digital journalism. Luis is one of the key forces behind the success of GameNGuide, contributing to 12 million views through engaging and high-traffic content. He also played a pivotal role in generating 8 million views on International Business Times, shaping the platform’s technology and gaming coverage.
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