A lawsuit has led to an organization headed by Elon Musk being blocked from accessing billions of dollars. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), created by President Trump to reduce bureaucracy and cut wasteful spending, had been granted access to the U.S. Treasury’s payment system, which handles over $6 trillion in transactions, including Social Security benefits and federal salaries.
Since January 20, DOGE members reportedly had access to the system, but on February 8, U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer issued an order halting this access and requiring the destruction of any downloaded data. He cited risks of exposing sensitive information and increased vulnerability to cyber threats.
The lawsuit, filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James and 18 other state attorneys general, argues that DOGE’s access is unauthorized and poses security risks. The suit states that previously, only a select group of Treasury officials had clearance for such systems.
The Treasury insists DOGE members had “read-only” access and could not alter expenditures. A hearing is set for February 14 to address the matter.