A federal judge has temporarily blocked Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) from accessing sensitive personal financial data stored within the U.S. Treasury Department, following a legal challenge by 19 state attorneys general. The ruling comes as part of an ongoing lawsuit arguing that the Trump administration’s decision to grant Doge access to this information violated federal law.
US District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer issued a preliminary injunction on Saturday, preventing Musk’s team from reviewing the records and ordering the destruction of any data already obtained. The lawsuit claims that Musk’s involvement, as a “special government employee,” poses privacy and security risks by allowing a non-governmental entity to handle sensitive personal information.
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Musk, who described the ruling as “absolutely insane” on social media, questioned how fraud and misuse of taxpayer funds could be tackled without reviewing government spending records. However, the court’s decision restricts access to these records to civil servants with proper security clearance, citing concerns about potential data breaches and risks to citizens’ privacy.
The ruling, supported by New York Attorney General Letitia James, remains in effect until the next court hearing scheduled for February 14.
