Attorney General Aaron M. Frey has aligned with a coalition of 19 attorneys general to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration. The lawsuit aims to halt what they describe as unauthorized access to Americans' private information and sensitive data by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). According to the lawsuit, this access was granted through the Treasury Department’s central payment system, which holds critical personal information such as bank account details and Social Security numbers.
Frey stated, “In violation of clearly established law, President Trump has granted Elon Musk and an unknown group of associates a green light to blow through statutory confidentiality protections for personal identifying information held by the federal government.” He expressed concerns about privacy breaches and criticized the administration's actions as undermining legal safeguards.
The coalition argues that this new policy could allow Musk and his team to interfere with federal funds intended for essential services like healthcare and childcare. The attorneys general seek to prevent further implementation of this policy, claiming it unlawfully expands access to confidential information.
On February 2, 2025, the Treasury Department under Trump's administration initiated a policy granting "special government employees," including Musk and DOGE members, access to its central payment system managed by the Bureau of Fiscal Services (BFS). This system manages vital funding for Social Security payments, veterans' benefits, Medicare, Medicaid, and state support services such as law enforcement and education.
Federal law restricts BFS access to career civil servants with necessary security clearances. Frey and his coalition argue that expanding this access violates legal statutes and risks Americans' sensitive data security. They also assert that it potentially allows unauthorized political appointees to control federal funds in ways that could breach constitutional limits.
The coalition seeks an injunction against the continued implementation of this policy along with a judicial declaration deeming it unlawful. Joining Attorney General Frey are attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.