A federal court has issued a preliminary injunction preventing Elon Musk and the "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE) from accessing private information of American citizens. This motion was sought by Attorney General Kathy Jennings and a coalition of 18 other attorneys general.
Attorney General Jennings expressed her stance, stating, "The Courts have once again stopped Donald Trump and his tech bros from trampling the Constitution." She emphasized the importance of checks and balances within the government system, adding that various attorneys general are actively opposing what they see as overreach by the administration.
The lawsuit, filed on February 7, alleges that the Trump administration unlawfully allowed Elon Musk and DOGE to access sensitive data through the Treasury Department’s central payment system. This access reportedly included personal details such as social security numbers and bank account information.
Following this legal action, a federal judge in the Southern District of New York granted a temporary restraining order to prevent further unauthorized access. The court also ordered any obtained records to be destroyed immediately.
Judge Jeannette Vargas later approved the preliminary injunction on Friday. This decision temporarily bars government officials like Musk and DOGE from accessing the Treasury's payment system while legal proceedings continue.
The attorneys general joining Jennings in this lawsuit represent Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.