The federal judge prevents the Doge of Elon Musk from access to sensitive files

A federal judge early Saturday blocked Elon Musk government efficiency department Access to the recordings of the Treasury Department which contain sensitive personal data such as Social Security and bank account numbers for millions of Americans.

American district judge Paul A. Engelmayer published the preliminary injunction after 19 Democratic prosecutors continued Donald Trump. The caseDeposed to the New York Federal Court, alleged that the Trump administration has authorized access to the Musk team to the central payment system of the Treasury Department in violation of the Federal Act.

The payment system manages tax reimbursements, social security services, the advantages of veterans and much more, by sending billions of dollars each year while containing a large network of personal and financial data of the Americans.

Engelmayer, who was appointed by President Barack Obama, also said that anyone prohibited having access to sensitive information because January 20 should immediately destroy all copies of equipment downloaded from the Treasury department systems.

He set an audience for February 14.

Previously, the White House had not immediately responded to a request for comments on the continuation of the trial.

Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, also known as Doge, was created Discover and eliminate what the Trump administration considered useless public spending. DOGE’s access to Treasury files, as well as its inspection of various government agencies, sparked a general concern among the criticism of the growing power of musk, while supporters applauded the idea of ​​reintegrating swollen government finances.

Musk made fun of Doge’s criticism on his X social media platform while saying that it saves millions of dollars to taxpayers.

Prosecutor General of New York Letitia Jameswhose office has filed the trial, said that Doge’s access to the data from the Treasury department raises security problems and the possibility of an illegal freeze in federal funds.

“This unadred group, led by the richest man in the world, is not authorized to have this information, and they explicitly asked for this unauthorized access to illegally block the millions of people on which Americans count, Payments for health care, childcare services and other essential programs, “James said in a video message published by his office on Friday.

James, a democrat who was one of Trump’s main antagonists, said the president did not have the power to give private American information to anyone he chooses, and that he cannot reduce the federal payments approved by the congress.

Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachat, New Jersey, North Caroline, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Massachusets, Massachuset, Massachusets, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.

The pursuit alleges that Doge’s access to the Treasury files could interfere with the funding already appropriate by the Congress, which would go beyond the statutory authority of the Treasury Department. The case also maintains that the Doge Access violates federal administrative law and the doctrine of the separation of the powers of the American Constitution.

He also accuses the secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent of modifying the long -standing policy of the ministry to protect information and personally identifiable financial information and financial information to allow the Musk DOGE team to access its payment systems.

“This decision did not take into account the legal obligations to protect this data and ignored the expectations in terms of confidentiality of the beneficiaries of the federal foundations”, in particular states, veterans, retirees and taxpayers, according to the trial.

Attorney General of Connecticut William Tong said that it is not clear what Doge does with information in treasury systems.

“This is the largest data violation in American history,” Tong said in a statement on Friday. “DOGE is an illegally made up of Renegade Tech Bros painted by confidential recordings, sensitive data and critical payment systems. What could go wrong?

The Treasury Department said that the examination is to assess the integrity of the system and that no modification was made. According to two people familiar with the process, the Musk team began their investigation looking for means to suspend the payments made by the American agency for international development, which Trump and Musk try to dismantle. The two people spoke with the Associated Press subject to anonymity for fear of reprisals.

Separately, democratic legislators are Search for a Treasury Department Survey From DOGE access to the government’s payment system.

In addition, working groups and defense groups continued to block the payment system examination concerning concerns about its legality. A judge in Washington temporarily restricted access to two employees with “read only” privileges. ___ The Associated Press Dave Collins writer in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report.