• Judge Engelmayer issues ruling in lawsuit brought by 19 state attorney generals against Trump administration, preventing Department of Government Efficiency from accessing Treasury over potential exposure of sensitive data

ISTANBUL

A federal judge on Saturday temporarily blocked Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing a critical Treasury Department payment system, citing the risk of “irreparable harm.”

Judge Paul Engelmayer issued a ruling in a lawsuit brought by 19 state attorneys general against the Trump administration, according to court documents.

The court ruling prevents DOGE from accessing the system that processes Social Security benefits, Medicaid and Medicare payments to doctors, and payments to other federal agencies.

The judge expressed concerns over the potential exposure of sensitive data and increased vulnerability to hacking threats.

Engelmayer also mandated the destruction of any data downloaded from the system since Jan. 20, when access was granted.

A hearing on the issue is set for Feb. 14, and President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent need to respond by then.

The lawsuit claims that Musk's team, categorized as "special government employees," was illegally granted access to the Treasury system, which is typically only available to designated government personnel.

'Absolutely insane'

Musk criticized the decision, calling it "absolutely insane." He claimed that stopping "fraud and waste" of taxpayer money requires access to Treasury Department data.

"Something super shady is going to protect scammers," he stated on X.

The coalition of states contends that granting access to DOGE, which is not an official government agency, violates federal regulations and endangers residents' personal data.

DOGE, a Trump administration initiative led by Musk, aims to reduce government spending but has faced criticism from agency officials for attempting to access critical systems.