On February 8, Russian news agency Sputnik reported, citing the Associated Press, that New York District Judge Paul Engelmayer decisively stepped in to urgently prevent the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Musk, from accessing documents from the U.S. Department of the Treasury that contain the private information of millions of Americans.
It is reported that a hearing has been scheduled for February 14. The incident was triggered by a lawsuit filed by 19 Democratic Attorneys General against the Trump administration, who insisted that the Trump administration allowed Musk's team to interfere with the Treasury Department's central payment system, which seriously violates federal law. Judge Engelmayer also emphasized that as of January 20, any individuals restricted from accessing confidential information must immediately destroy all copies of materials downloaded from the Treasury system.
Just when one wave of issues subsided, another arose. On February 7, House Democrats seized the opportunity to introduce a bill aimed at restricting DOGE from obtaining confidential information through the payment system. Media reports have long revealed that staff members of Musk's leading agency have been granted access to the sensitive information of millions of government employees, including personnel records, addresses, salaries, names, and social security numbers.
