Federal unions sue over Musk’s Doge gaining access to sensitive records
Federal unions sue over Musk’s Doge gaining access to sensitive records
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Groups sue Trump administration over the ‘department of government efficiency’ being granted unheard-of access. Three federal employee unions are suing the Trump administration, alleging that Elon Musk’s “department of government efficiency” (Doge) has been granted unprecedented and potentially illegal access to sensitive government records. The lawsuit, filed on Monday in federal court, claims that the treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, violated federal privacy laws by giving Musk’s team full access to the Bureau of the Fiscal Service’s confidential payment systems.
Within days of Bessent’s appointment, the bureau’s top career official, David A Lebryk, was placed on administrative leave after reportedly resisting Doge’s data access requests. Lebryk subsequently announced his retirement, according to the lawsuit. The unions argue that millions of Americans’ personal data – including social security numbers, tax returns and payment details – could be at risk.
“The scale of the intrusion into individuals’ privacy is massive and unprecedented,” the complaint reads. Also on Monday, the interim US attorney for Washington, Ed Martin, warned that any interference with or impediment to Musk’s team would be aggressively prosecuted. Martin, in a letter posted on X, said that actions targeting Doge staff could violate multiple laws. “We will not tolerate threats against Doge workers or law-breaking by the disgruntled,” Martin posted on X.
The lingering presence of Doge has not only pestered federal agencies but Congress too, leaving the Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, on Monday to describe it as an “unelected shadow government” attempting to take over federal agencies. Trump has backed Musk’s moves after beginning his second presidency on 20 January, telling a pool of reporters he “can’t do and won’t do anything without our approval”. A White House spokesperson described Musk as a “special government employee” without salary.
