{"id":1807,"date":"2026-01-07T14:09:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T19:09:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/?p=1807"},"modified":"2026-01-07T21:46:01","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T02:46:01","slug":"lawsuit-doges-access-to-treasury-systems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/07\/lawsuit-doges-access-to-treasury-systems\/","title":{"rendered":"DOGE\u2019s Access to Treasury Systems"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Press Release<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

AG Tong Sues to Block DOGE Access to Con\u00adfi\u00adden\u00adtial Records<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preceding Event<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On Feb. 2, 2025, the Trea\u00adsury Depart\u00adment began allow\u00ading \u201cspe\u00adcial gov\u00adern\u00adment employ\u00adees\u201d includ\u00ading Elon Musk and his Depart\u00adment of Gov\u00adern\u00adment Effi\u00adcien\u00adcy mem\u00adbers, to access the cen\u00adtral pay\u00adment sys\u00adtem oper\u00adat\u00aded by the Bureau of Fis\u00adcal Ser\u00advices. Nor\u00admal\u00adly, this was lim\u00adit\u00aded to a select few career civ\u00adil ser\u00advice mem\u00adbers with exten\u00adsive train\u00ading and vet\u00adting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUntil sev\u00ader\u00adal days ago, con\u00adsis\u00adtent with laws and reg\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtions gov\u00adern\u00ading the col\u00adlec\u00adtion, stor\u00adage, han\u00addling, and dis\u00adclo\u00adsure of PII (per\u00adson\u00adal\u00adly iden\u00adti\u00adfy\u00ading infor\u00adma\u00adtion), only a lim\u00adit\u00aded num\u00adber of career civ\u00adil ser\u00advants employed at BFS with appro\u00adpri\u00adate secu\u00adri\u00adty clear\u00adance had access to the BFS pay\u00adment sys\u00adtems \u2013 access nec\u00ades\u00adsary for them to per\u00adform their job func\u00adtion of ensur\u00ading BFS oper\u00adates secure\u00adly as intend\u00aded when dis\u00adburs\u00ading the fed\u00ader\u00adal dol\u00adlars appro\u00adpri\u00adat\u00aded by Con\u00adgress to the States and their res\u00adi\u00addents,\u201d accord\u00ading to the law\u00adsuit<\/p>\n\n\n\n

General Overview<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Accord\u00ading to the press release from Feb. 7, 2025, \u201cAttor\u00adney Gen\u00ader\u00adal William Tong today joined a coali\u00adtion of 19 attor\u00adneys gen\u00ader\u00adal suing Pres\u00adi\u00addent Don\u00adald Trump, the U.S. Trea\u00adsury and Trea\u00adsury Sec\u00adre\u00adtary Scott Bessent to stop the unau\u00adtho\u00adrized dis\u00adclo\u00adsure of Amer\u00adi\u00adcans\u2019 pri\u00advate infor\u00adma\u00adtion and sen\u00adsi\u00adtive data.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The law\u00adsuit assert\u00aded that the Trump admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion ille\u00adgal\u00adly pro\u00advid\u00aded Elon Musk and the Depart\u00adment of Gov\u00adern\u00adment Effi\u00adcien\u00adcy (DOGE) unau\u00adtho\u00adrized access to the Trea\u00adsury Department\u2019s cen\u00adtral pay\u00adment sys\u00adtem, and there\u00adfore to Amer\u00adi\u00adcans\u2019 most sen\u00adsi\u00adtive per\u00adson\u00adal infor\u00adma\u00adtion, includ\u00ading bank account details and Social Secu\u00adri\u00adty num\u00adbers. This expand\u00aded access could allow Musk and his team to block fed\u00ader\u00adal funds to states and pro\u00adgrams pro\u00advid\u00ading health care, child\u00adcare and oth\u00ader crit\u00adi\u00adcal ser\u00advices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With this law\u00adsuit, the coali\u00adtion of attor\u00adneys gen\u00ader\u00adal sought to stop the Trump administration\u2019s new pol\u00adi\u00adcy that ille\u00adgal\u00adly grants DOGE, Musk, and oth\u00aders access to Amer\u00adi\u00adcans\u2019 con\u00adfi\u00adden\u00adtial infor\u00adma\u00adtion and the U.S. Treasury\u2019s pay\u00adment sys\u00adtems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tong assert\u00aded this pol\u00adi\u00adcy vio\u00adlates the law and jeop\u00adar\u00addizes Amer\u00adi\u00adcans\u2019 most sen\u00adsi\u00adtive per\u00adson\u00adal infor\u00adma\u00adtion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connecticut Nexus:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Accord\u00ading to the law\u00adsuit, \u201cIn the aggre\u00adgate, Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut res\u00adi\u00addents receive approx\u00adi\u00admate\u00adly $656,760,797 in vet\u00ader\u00adans\u2019 ben\u00ade\u00adfits annu\u00adal\u00adly. In SFY 2024, the State of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut received $6,868,967,920 in fed\u00ader\u00adal fund\u00ading for Med\u00adic\u00adaid; $1,560,395 under the Edward Byrne JAG pro\u00adgram; $1,221,252,405 in fed\u00ader\u00adal grants for edu\u00adca\u00adtion; $28,705,050 in Title IV\u2011E Fos\u00adter Care pay\u00adments; $54,702,152 in Title IV\u2011E Adop\u00adtion Assis\u00adtance pay\u00adments; and $5,734,375 in Title IV\u2011E Sub\u00adsi\u00addized Guardian pay\u00adment.\u201d All of this mon\u00adey may be jeop\u00adar\u00addized if Musk and DOGE have access to the BFS sys\u00adtems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Date of filing<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Feb. 7, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Case #<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

1:25-cv-01144<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Case title:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

State of New York et al v. Trump et al.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plaintiffs<\/strong>: 19 States<\/h3>\n\n\n\n