Attorney General Charity Clark, 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 attorneys general expressed concern over this decision, emphasizing that such an action is both "unlawful" and "unprecedented." They argued that DOGE lacks the authority to access this information and accused them of seeking it with intentions to obstruct essential payments for healthcare, childcare, and other vital programs.
"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," they stated. The group further criticized any attempt by President Biden to allow such access without congressional approval.
The coalition declared their intent to file a lawsuit aimed at halting what they perceive as an infringement on constitutional rights and privacy protections. Attorney General Clark was joined by her counterparts from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, and Rhode Island in issuing this joint statement.