A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) from accessing sensitive Treasury Department records containing personal financial data. This action followed a lawsuit from 19 state attorneys general who argued that granting access to Musk, a “special government employee,” and Doge violated federal law and posed an irreparable risk of data breaches. The injunction orders the immediate destruction of any copied records and restricts access to only authorized civil servants. The order will remain in effect until a February 14th hearing.
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A federal judge temporarily halted the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) deadline for federal employees to accept a “deferred resignation” offer, preventing the implementation of the program’s February 6th deadline. The program, offering full pay and benefits until September 30th in exchange for resignation, was challenged by unions arguing it violated federal law and risked significant loss of government expertise. Approximately 40,000 employees had already accepted the offer, while the White House anticipated further uptake. The program’s legality is contested, with concerns raised by employment lawyers and state attorneys general regarding its clarity and authority.
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Following a lawsuit from federal employee unions, access to the U.S. Treasury’s payment systems by the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will be severely restricted. A court filing limits DOGE’s access, with exceptions for two employees on a read-only basis. This action comes after allegations of unauthorized access and data sharing, and concerns that DOGE’s control over these systems could be used to manipulate federal payments. The temporary restriction awaits final judicial approval.
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John Q. Hosedrinker