Treasury Payment Systems Breach: Doge Gains Unauthorized Access, Judge's Ruling Confirmed
A federal judge has authorized the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to access sensitive systems within the Treasury Department, which manage trillions of dollars in payments and contain personal information for millions of Americans.
US District Judge Jeannette Vargas announced her decision on Tuesday, stating that the Trump administration's creation of a training process for DOGE staffers would prevent the improper disclosure of private data. The ruling comes after the administration overruled an earlier denial of access, following the confirmation of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Initially, a coalition of 19 states with Democratic attorneys general, had filed a lawsuit seeking to block DOGE from accessing the payment systems. However, the states agreed that DOGE staffers could access the systems, provided they received appropriate training.
In her ruling, Vargas explained that further permission from the court would not be required for additional DOGE staffers who undergo the training program. She highlighted that she would not function as Treasury's de facto human resources officer in such cases.
Last February, Judge Vargas had initially blocked DOGE from accessing the Treasury's payment systems due to concerns over chaotic and haphazard actions by the Trump administration, which failed to adequately consider privacy and security risks. Her recent order largely removes the initial restrictions she imposed.
Previous reports by our company suggested that DOGE staffers attempted to use the Treasury payment systems to curtail funding for certain programs. Noted Trump critic, New York Attorney General Letitia James, led the Democratic coalition that filed the lawsuit, saying the DOGE actions represented an "illegal power grab" and that the lawsuit was necessary to prevent withholding federal funds for essential programs like Social Security and Medicaid.
[Relevant information from Enrichment Data: The newly confirmed Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, overruled the denial of access by David Lebryk, who was replaced by Tom Krause, a DOGE member, maintaining his role in the private sector as well.]
- The decision by Judge Jeannette Vargas allows the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to access the sensitive financial systems within the Treasury Department, which manage trillions of dollars and contain personal information for millions of Americans, after the DOGE staffers undergo a training program.
- The recent ruling in a lawsuit led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Trump critic, follows the Trump administration's decision to overrule an earlier denial of access to the Treasury's payment systems, and also comes after Judge Vargas' initial concerns over privacy and security risks were largely addressed.
