Attorney General Keith Ellison, alongside a coalition of 12 attorneys general, issued a statement concerning the U.S. Department of the Treasury's decision to grant Elon Musk and his "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE) access to sensitive payment systems containing Americans' personally identifiable information.
"In the past week, the U.S. Department of the Treasury has given Elon Musk access to Americans’ personal private information, state bank account data, and other information that is some of our country’s most sensitive data," the statement reads.
The coalition expressed concern over this development, emphasizing that no individual is above the law. "As the richest man in the world, Elon Musk is not used to being told ‘no,’ but in our country, no one is above the law. The President does not have the power to give away our private information to anyone he chooses, and he cannot cut federal payments approved by Congress."
They described DOGE's level of access as "unlawful, unprecedented, and unacceptable," noting that DOGE lacks authority for such actions. They further alleged that DOGE sought this information with intentions to block critical payments vital for healthcare, childcare, and other essential programs.
"In defense of our Constitution, our right to privacy, and the essential funding that individuals and communities nationwide are counting on, we will be filing a lawsuit to stop this injustice," concluded their statement.
The attorneys general from New York, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Maine, Nevada, Rhode Island, and Vermont joined Attorney General Ellison in releasing this statement.