Judge upholds ban on DOGE accessing sensitive Treasury information, for now
People protest during a rally outside the Treasury Department in Washington, Feb. 4, 2025. Credit: AP/Jose Luis Magana
NEW YORK — A federal judge in Manhattan on Friday extended a ban on Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency accessing sensitive Treasury Department information, but rejected broader restrictions sought by 19 Democratic state attorneys general who sued over the issue.
Judge Jeannette A. Vargas issued a preliminary injunction but said she may lift the ban — which she initially put in place earlier this month — if the Treasury Department certifies by March 24 that DOGE members have received required cybersecurity training.
Vargas said DOGE’s efforts to modernize Treasury payment systems were not undercut by the delay, which she said was meant to ensure the security of sensitive personal data for millions of Americans.
“Without addressing these issues, the potential consequences of a cybersecurity breach could be catastrophic,” Vargas wrote in a 64-page ruling.
The attorneys general had sought to ban Musk’s DOGE team from developing automated or manual processes to halt payments flowing through the Treasury Department’s payment systems.
Vargas said that rather than “broad and sweeping relief” she opted for a “narrowly tailored” remedy to address concerns that private banking data could become exposed in a data breach.
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