Credit AP
Democratic attorneys general from several states pledged on Thursday to file a lawsuit aimed at preventing Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing federal payment systems that contain sensitive personal information of Americans.
Thirteen attorneys general, including New York’s Letitia James, issued a statement declaring their intention to take action “in defense of our Constitution, our right to privacy, and the essential funding that individuals and communities nationwide rely on.”
“As the wealthiest person in the world, Elon Musk may not be accustomed to being told ‘no,’ but in our country, no one is above the law,” the statement read. “The President does not have the authority to hand over our private information to anyone, nor can he cut federal payments approved by Congress.”
The White House did not respond immediately to requests for comment on Thursday afternoon.
Government officials and labor unions have voiced concerns about DOGE’s role in managing federal payment systems, citing potential security risks and the possibility of delayed payments for programs like Social Security and Medicare.
In related developments, a federal judge ruled on Thursday that two Musk allies would be granted “read-only” access to the Treasury Department’s payment systems. However, no one else, including Musk himself, will have access at this time. This ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by federal workers’ unions, who are seeking to block DOGE from implementing what they describe as a significant privacy breach.
It is unclear when the Democratic attorneys general will file their lawsuit.
Alongside James, the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Vermont also signed the statement.
President Donald Trump appointed Musk, the world’s richest man, with the goal of reducing the size of the U.S. government.
