February 18, 2025
Lawsuit attempts to block DOGE access to Treasury’s payment database
WASHINGTON - Two federal employees unions and a nonprofit are suing the Treasury Department to block the federal agency from sharing payment database records with the new “Department of Government Efficiency.”

The Alliance for Retired Americans, American Federation of Government Employees and Service Employees International filed the suit against the Treasury on Monday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, arguing that “the scale of the intrusion into individuals’ privacy is massive and unprecedented.”

Billionaire Elon Musk’s deputies gained access to the sensitive Treasury Department system responsible for trillions of dollars in U.S. government payments after the Trump administration ousted a top career official at the department, The Washington Post reported. The systems control the flow of more than $6 trillion annually. Tens of millions of people across the country rely on the systems, which are responsible for thousands of functions, including paying Social Security and Medicare benefits.

The lawsuit seeks declaratory and injunctive relief to halt the “unlawful ongoing, systematic and continuous disclosure of personal and financial information” contained in Treasury’s records to Elon Musk and other members of DOGE.

Millions of individuals’ names, Social Security numbers, bank account information and other sensitive details are maintained within the Treasury’s records, and the Privacy Act of 1974 and the Internal Revenue Code “make it unlawful for Secretary [Scott] Bessent to hand over access to the bureau’s records on individuals to Elon Musk or other members of DOGE,” the lawsuit argues. (Source: The Washington Post)
Story Date: February 4, 2025
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