Judge blocks Musk team access to Treasury Department records

A federal judge has issued an order blocking Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) from accessing personal financial data of millions of Americans stored in Treasury Department records, according to court filings.

U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer granted a preliminary injunction on Saturday, prohibiting any further access and directing Musk and his team to immediately destroy any copies of the records.

This ruling follows a lawsuit filed by 19 state attorneys general, who challenged the Trump administration’s decision to grant Doge—an initiative led by Musk to reduce government costs—access to the sensitive data. They argued that allowing Musk, a "special government employee," and Doge, which is not an official government department, to access the records violated federal law.

Judge Blocks Musk's Team from Accessing Treasury Department Records

A federal judge has temporarily blocked Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) from accessing personal financial data in Treasury Department records, as stated in court documents.

On Saturday, U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer issued a preliminary injunction that prevents Musk and his team from accessing the records, ordering them to destroy any copies of the data they had obtained.

The ruling follows a lawsuit filed by 19 state attorneys general, who challenged the Trump administration’s decision to grant Doge—Musk's cost-cutting initiative—access to the sensitive information. They argued that allowing Musk, a "special government employee," and Doge, which is not an official government agency, violated federal law.

The White House, President Donald Trump, and Musk did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The lawsuit, filed by Democratic state attorneys general, named Trump, the Treasury Department, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as defendants. Engelmayer’s order, issued early on Saturday, stated that the states would suffer "irreparable" harm without immediate intervention, citing concerns about the risk of sensitive information being disclosed and heightened vulnerabilities to hacking.

The injunction restricts access to Treasury Department records containing personally identifiable or confidential information to special government employees, political appointees, and others outside the department. Only civil servants who require access for their work and have passed background checks will be allowed to view the records.

The judge further ordered that any individuals who were subject to the restriction must immediately destroy any copies of the records. These conditions will remain in effect until a court hearing on February 14.

Musk has played a significant role in reshaping government operations during Trump’s second term, including major cost-cutting initiatives at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which oversees billions of dollars in global aid.