Both New York’s Attorney General Letitia James and Connecticut’s Attorney General William Tong have reacted to a federal judge in New York City early Feb. 8 issuing a preliminary order that at least temporarily stops Elon Musk and his computer people from accessing sensitive private information of Americans and other data in the Treasury Department’s computer systems. The ruling came as the result of a lawsuit filed late Feb. 7 by James and a coalition composed of Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and the attorneys general of other states. The White House declined to comment on early Saturday morning whether Musk and the Trump Administration will comply with the judicial order.
The lawsuit asserts that Elon Musk and the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)” were given unauthorized access to the Treasury Department’s central payment system, and therefore to Americans’ most sensitive personal information, including bank account details and Social Security numbers. The lawsuit took the position that this expanded access could allow Musk and his team to block federal funds to states and programs providing health care, childcare, and other critical services.
“From the moment Elon Musk and his DOGE employees gained unprecedented access to our personal private data, state bank account details, and other sensitive information, Americans across the country have been horrified,” James said in reaction to the federal judge in new York City swiftly issuing his order. “Over the past week, my office has heard from more than a thousand New Yorkers who were afraid they would lose their privacy and the critical funding their communities count on because of Musk and DOGE’s interference.
“We knew the Trump administration’s choice to give this access to unauthorized individuals was illegal, and this morning, a federal court agreed. I have said it before, and I will say it again: no one is above the law. Now, Americans can trust that Musk – the world’s richest man – and his friends will not have free rein over their personal information while our lawsuit proceeds.”
Connecticut’s Attorney General William Tong said. “This strong and swift action from the court reflects the severity of our claims and the strength of our case. DOGE and its unlawfully constituted band of renegade tech bros were perpetrating the largest data breach in American history. We sued to protect the functioning of our government and the security of every single American’s private data.”
