The U.S. Treasury Department has agreed to temporarily restrict Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing federal payment systems while a lawsuit challenging its authority moves forward. The legal battle, spearheaded by federal employee unions and retirees, argues that granting DOGE unfettered access to sensitive financial records—including tax payments, Social Security benefits, and federal salaries—violates privacy laws.
The lawsuit, filed in Washington, D.C., contends that Treasury had already provided Musk’s agency with “full access” to government payment data as part of a broader effort to root out waste and fraud in federal spending. Treasury officials pushed back on the claims, stating in court that only two DOGE-affiliated individuals had limited, read-only access and were classified as special government employees.
Despite denying any privacy violations, Treasury reached an agreement to prevent any additional DOGE personnel from accessing the records while the case unfolds. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent later assured that Musk would not interfere with the department’s payment system and emphasized that any decisions on halting payments would fall under the jurisdiction of other federal agencies.
With Musk’s involvement in federal oversight under intense scrutiny, the lawsuit could shape the future of how government financial data is handled—and who gets to see it.
