Attorney General Kathy Jennings, along with a coalition of 18 attorneys general, has successfully obtained a federal court order to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data held by the U.S. Treasury. The temporary restraining order (TRO) was issued by a federal judge early this morning.
The TRO restricts "political appointees, special government employees, and any government employee detailed from an agency outside the Treasury Department" from accessing payment systems or any data containing personally identifiable information maintained by the Treasury Department.
This legal action follows a lawsuit filed late Friday by AG Jennings and her coalition. They allege that the Trump Administration unlawfully allowed Elon Musk and the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)” access to the Treasury's central payment system. This access allegedly exposed Americans' sensitive personal information, including bank account details and Social Security numbers.
AG Jennings expressed strong disapproval of these actions: “This kind of corruption does not belong in our country,” she stated. She emphasized that it was "a flagrant violation of Delawareans’ privacy," expressing gratitude for the court's swift response to protect state interests. She further declared, “We are not going to stand by while unelected oligarchs and their lackies infiltrate the government and perpetrate the largest data breach in American history.”
The TRO mandates that defendants cannot grant access to any Treasury payment records or systems containing personally identifiable or confidential financial information unless necessary for civil servants performing their duties within the Bureau of Fiscal Services (BFS). These individuals must have completed all required background checks, security clearances, and information security training as stipulated by federal statutes and Treasury regulations. Additionally, those who have accessed such information since January 20, 2025, are required to destroy all copies of downloaded materials from Treasury records immediately.