Last Saturday, a federal judge in New York temporarily restricted and blocked Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team from accessing key records of the U.S Treasury. U.S. District Court Judge Paul A. Engelmayer issued an emergency order after 19 attorneys general filed a lawsuit attempting to prevent DOGE from accessing the US Treasury’s payment and data system.
According to The New York Times, Judge Engelmayer’s rationale for restricting access to Treasury records to DOGE was that President Trump’s policy of granting authorization for “special government employees” and political appointees to highly sensitive information poses a major security risk. Furthermore, Judge Engelmayer ordered the destruction of any records copied from the Treasury’s records since January 20.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was established on January 20 by an executive order from President Trump. The organization is not a Cabinet-level department but rather a team composed of “special government employees”— advisors and experts appointed by the Federal Government on a temporary basis. The stated purpose of DOGE is to “reduce wasteful and fraudulent spending” and “eliminate excessive regulations.” DOGE is currently headed by tech billionaire and businessman Elon Musk, who contributed to and was a major part of President Trump’s campaign and subsequent re-election. DOGE has faced widespread criticism in recent days, primarily from Democratic lawmakers who argue that it represents a “billionaire takeover” and an “assault on the Constitution.”
The lawsuit, filed by 19 attorneys general and led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, states that President Trump unlawfully granted Musk and DOGE access to sensitive and confidential Treasury data. According to Office of the New York State Attorney General, access to the payment system of the U.S. Treasury is only restricted to a “selected group of civil servants” with “appropriate security clearances.” The payment system, operated by the Bureau of Fiscal Services within the U.S. Treasury, controls vital funding to many social/government programs, such as Medicaid/Medicare benefits, Social Security, and core services such as law enforcement and public infrastructure. Granting unrestricted access to DOGE, according to James, will grant the agency the authority to freeze/remove funds at their own discretion.
President Trump commented on Judge Englemeyer’s ruling on Saturday, criticizing it as corrupt and politically motivated. According to The Hill, President Trump told Fox News reporter Bret Baier that he disagrees with the case “100 percent” and emphasized the necessity of solving “fraud, waste, and abuse,” seemingly supporting the purpose of DOGE in ensuring government efficiency and productivity. Elon Musk has also responded to the ruling, calling for the impeachment of Judge Engelmayer and accusing him of corruption. Musk has expressed his frustrations on the ruling on X, stating that a “corrupt judge (Englemayer) is protecting corruption.” Republican lawmakers have since expressed mixed responses to the ruling. On Wednesday, Arizona representative Eli Crane announced his intention to draft articles of impeachment against Judge Englemayer on the basis of “partisan corruption.” Prominent GOP lawmakers, however, have urged President Trump to comply with the court’s ruling and uphold the rule of law.
