Judge grants 19 AGs preliminary injunction against DOGE access to Treasury payment system
The ruling came amid a lawsuit filed by 19 state attorneys general concerned about the Elon Musk-led DOGE accessing the payment system
By Louis Casiano Fox News
Published February 21, 2025 7:58pm EST
A federal judge on Friday granted an injunction requested by 19 attorneys general to prevent the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from having access to the Treasury Department's central payment system.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas extends the pause by issuing a preliminary injunction, a legal step that blocks access to the records while the case is litigated on the merits.
In her 64-page decision, Vargas noted she was granting the preliminary injunction preventing DOGE from accessing the payment records because of the possible disclosure of the states’ bank records. However, she also said the plaintiffs "have not demonstrated that they are entitled to the broad and sweeping relief they seek, which would far exceed the scope of the present TRO (Temporary restraining order)."
Vargas is giving Trump administration attorneys the chance to fix any defects so that the sensitive information will be protected.
A report is due March 24. Last week, a federal judge extended a temporary order to block DOGE from accessing Treasury payment systems.
A lawsuit filed by the 19 AGs claims DOGE illegally accessed the Treasury Department’s central payment system at the Trump administration’s behest. The payment systems have information about Americans’ Social Security, Medicare and veterans’ benefits; tax refund information; and much more.
Lawyers for the administration argued that the temporary restraining order "causes ongoing constitutional harm to the Treasury Department's ability to make management decisions within its lawful discretion."
more
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/judge-grants-19-ags-preliminary-injunction-against-doge-access-treasury-payment-system
