A New York judge relaxed Elon Musk's ban on government efficiency and prevented him from accessing sensitive Treasury information related to millions of Americans. Judge Jeannette Vargas said in a written opinion late Friday that one Doge worker, Ryan Wunderly, will have access to sensitive payments and data systems once Treasury employees are given such access and complete training that is normally passed before submitting a financial disclosure report. The ruling was caught up in a lawsuit brought by the 19 Democratic state attorney general who sued about privacy issues, the Associated Press reports.
The lawsuit alleges that Musk's Doge team consists of political appointees who have no access to Treasury records handled by civil servants specially trained to protect sensitive information such as Social Security and bank account numbers. Vargas said Wunderly has access to payment records, payment systems and other Treasury data systems, including personally identifiable information and confidential financial information of recipients. Vargas introduced a ban two months ago. Doge claims it is working to modernize the Treasury payment system. (Doge is taking part in the audit.)
