Federal judge rules not to immediately block DOGE access to Labor Department systemsA federal judge on Friday said he would not immediately block the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, from accessing systems at the Labor Department.
U.S. District Judge John Bates said he had concerns about DOGE but that the labor unions who sued to block their access to the systems have not yet provided evidence of any legal injury.
"Although the court harbors concerns about defendants’ alleged conduct, it must deny plaintiffs’ motion at this time," Bates wrote.
The Labor Department has investigated companies like SpaceX and Tesla that are owned by Elon Musk, who leads DOGE, and keeps records on these investigations. The department also has information about these companies' competitors' trade secrets, the unions said in the lawsuit.
The department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has investigated and fined SpaceX and Tesla over worker safety, the unions said.
The Labor Department's systems contain medical and financial records of millions of Americans, including those who have filed safety complaints about their employers.
The ruling comes after the Trump administration agreed earlier this week that DOGE would not receive access to the Labor Department until this court decision.
The Justice Department said there are three DOGE staffers assigned to the Labor Department and reporting to its acting secretary, although they have been made special government employees and are required to follow the law with any sensitive information about corporations or workers as they conduct a review.
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/federal-judge-rules-not-immediately-block-doge-access-labor-department-systems
