The legal action coming from 13 Democratic attorneys led by New York Attorney General Letitia James targets Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) operated by Elon Musk for its access to nationwide payment systems containing sensitive personal data. A legal action initiated on February 7, 2025 attempts to restrict DOGE’s access to American citizen personal data due to constitutional privacy violations.
The states maintain that DOGE access to Social Security and Medicare payment systems alongside other federal systems creates substantial security vulnerabilities that threaten essential monetary flows. The state attorneys general declared that taxpayer data remains the law’s exclusive domain through their statement: “No one, not even the richest man in the world, is above the law.”
The dispute intensified after a judge issued a court order which provided limited Treasury system viewing access only to two candidates from Musk’s circle but excluded him and several others from the list. Workers’ unions filed a lawsuit which described DOGE’s activities as violating extensive privacy standards after receiving this court order. 
According to officials from DOGE their organization attempted to gain control of transactions sent to the U.S. Agency for International Development until it caught the attention of government officials who became worried about their misuse of power. Democratic lawmakers together with critics have expressed strong opposition to Musk’s increasing influence in government operations since it represents an extreme power grab from an unselected leader.
Musk rejects criticism of his social platform X by arguing that Dogecoin prevents taxpayer expense of several million dollars. The attorneys general have shown no change in stance because they view DOGE’s actions as “unlawful and unacceptable” and “unprecedented” measures. The public does not have access to the date when the lawsuit was filed.
