Judge refuses Elon Musk’s Doge blocks access to US financial data

A federal judge denied attempts to block Doge, the government’s efficiency ministry, from accessing the U.S. Treasury payment system that handles tax refunds, Social Security payments, Medicare spending and federal salaries.

Judge Colleen Collee Cottery, who ruled Friday from Washington, D.C., declined to the lawsuit filed by retirees and the union. In her decision, she acknowledged her concerns but said there was no evidence that the Treasury system has been compromised or there is an immediate risk of data exposure.

“If the plaintiff can demonstrate that the defendant plans to release personal information or share that information with non-federal individuals without maintaining confidentiality, the court will not hesitate to find any potential irreparable harm,” wrote Kollar-Kotelly. However, no such evidence was presented, so she ruled in favour of Doge.

A federal judge in New York already blocked access last month

Despite the Washington ruling, Doge is still hampered from using the Treasury Department’s Finance Bureau (BFS) due to another decision issued last month by New York City Judge Jeannette Vargas.

Vargas determined that the process of granting Doge access was “hurried and ad hoc” and created “a realistic risk of confidential financial information being disclosed.” She ordered the Treasury to submit a detailed report by March 24th, proving that Doge employees had received proper review and training before being permitted near the federal financial system. The report also needs to lay out “mitigation steps” to prevent security risks. Until these requirements are met, Doge will remain locked out of the Treasury payment system.

President Donald Trump created the Doge through an executive order signed on January 20th shortly after taking office, and Elon has given him a wide range of authority to encourage federal government spending cuts and eliminate waste. The White House describes Doge as a cost-cutting initiative, but critics say it’s an overreach of the presidential forces.

Trump repeatedly called Elon Musk the Doge leader, but the administrative lawyers have argued in court that he was “advising” in his attempts to protect him from legal agendas. The agency’s aggressive budget cut efforts have already led to an increase in lawsuits, protests and opposition from Republicans in Congress.

On Thursday, Trump met with Elon and his Cabinet Secretary to discuss the restructuring of the federal workforce. He told agency leaders that they would have final say on employment and layoff decisions, not doges. “Protect all the people you want, all the people you need,” Trump told an oval office meeting. However, he also made it clear that if they don’t cut enough, Elon will do it for them. “If they can cut, it’s better. If they don’t, Elon will do the cutting.”

Doge-led staff cuts have led to thousands of government employees being fired and the entire office has been closed. The rapid pace of the cuts surprised Republican lawmakers. Republican lawmakers fear that backlash from federal workers and their families could cost the vote in the upcoming election.

Elon meets Senate and House Republicans over voter rebellion fears

On Wednesday, Elon met with Senate Republicans behind closed doors to address concerns about Doji’s drastic budget cuts and future election impacts. According to a report by NBC News, Florida Sen. Rick Scott was the one who arranged the meeting after many Republican lawmakers shared their complaints about the fact that Doge’s work was being carried out without transparency or opinion from Congress.

The GOP Senator also warned that voter backlash was becoming a serious problem. Several lawmakers were already facing hostile city hall meetings in the district, where they had requested answers on the impact of Doge’s actions on government programs and jobs.

On the same Wednesday, Elon met with House Republicans and later told reporters he had discussed “opportunities to improve government spending.”

Meanwhile, President Trump has said the truth, socially: “Doge has been incredibly successful. Now that we have introduced a cabinet, we have instructed our secretaries and leadership to work on cost-cutting measures and staffing. The secretaries can be very accurate about who will remain and who will go, as they learn and understand people working in different departments. They say “female” rather than “hatchet.” The combination of them, Elon, Doge, and other great people, can do things on a historical level. ”