Attorney General Dan Rayfield announced a temporary legal victory against Elon Musk and the "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE) in a lawsuit involving access to sensitive personal information. A federal judge in the Southern District of New York ruled that DOGE must destroy any records already obtained, pending further proceedings.
The decision follows a lawsuit filed by 19 states, including Oregon. Rayfield stated, “The court’s ruling reaffirms the principle that no one – not a billionaire and not the president—are above the law. The actions of Elon Musk and his team represent a dangerous overreach that could have long-lasting consequences.”
Rayfield noted widespread concern from Oregonians regarding privacy violations and potential impacts on critical funding. He expressed gratitude towards U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer for swift action, stating, “Musk and his cronies will no longer have free access to Americans’ personal information as we take the next steps to make this permanent.”
Judge Engelmayer found that the states demonstrated they were likely to succeed on their statutory claims and would face irreparable harm without urgent intervention.
Recently, the U.S. Department of the Treasury adopted a policy allowing special government employees, including Musk and DOGE staffers, access to its central payment system containing private data essential for Social Security payments, veterans' benefits, Medicare, Medicaid payments, and more.
Arguments for further injunctive relief are scheduled for February 14th. Attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon Rhode Island Vermont Wisconsin joined Rayfield in this lawsuit.