The Treasury Department Faces Lawsuit Over Inclusion of DOGE in Payment Systems.

The administration of President Donald Trump is facing a lawsuit related to the alleged "massive and unprecedented" intrusion by Elon Musk into the payment systems of the U.S. government. This litigation was filed in a federal court in Washington, D.C., by the watchdog group Public Citizen, which requests the court to put an end to the "illegal, ongoing, systematic, and continuous disclosure of personal and financial information... to Elon Musk and other members of the so-called ‘Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), or to any other person."

Public Citizen filed this lawsuit against the Department of the Treasury on behalf of the Alliance for Retired Americans, the American Federation of Government Employees, and the Service Employees International Union, just days after reports emerged indicating that Musk and DOGE had gained access to federal payment systems, as well as to millions of Social Security numbers of Americans. The legal document argues that the Department of the Treasury, led by newly appointed Secretary Scott Bessent, violated the Privacy Act of 1974 and Internal Revenue Code regulations that protect taxpayer information by allowing Musk and DOGE to access these systems.

The lawsuit states that "individuals who are required to share information with the federal government should not be compelled to share information with Elon Musk or his 'DOGE'." It further emphasizes that federal law stipulates they should not do so.

Additionally, several lawmakers have called for investigations into Musk's apparent takeover of the Department of the Treasury. Over the weekend, Senators Ron Wyden and Elizabeth Warren sent letters to Bessent seeking clarification on whether Musk was granted "full access" to the government payment systems.

Wyden, a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, warned that "these payment systems simply cannot fail, and any politically motivated interference in them could cause severe damage to our country and to the economy." In his letter, he included a series of questions regarding whether individuals associated with Musk or DOGE had requested or received access to the payment systems of the Fiscal Service, as well as what security measures had been implemented to protect these systems from potential cyberattacks.

For her part, Warren inquired about the existing safeguards to prevent abuses in accessing these systems and what measures were being taken to protect sensitive information of Americans, such as Social Security numbers. Both senators have set deadlines for obtaining responses.

Bradley Moss, a national security attorney, commented that the administration may face other legal challenges related to DOGE's attempts to redefine the federal bureaucracy. Organizations whose funding is cut due to the freezing of USAID payments could file lawsuits, as could federal employees affected by DOGE's actions. Furthermore, Congress might question DOGE's efforts to withhold funds that have been allocated to agencies and programs.

Moss noted that "President Trump is clearly in a phase of ‘just do it and become a legend’." He added that he is pushing the limits to see what he can achieve before someone can legally stop him, something that is unlikely to happen with the Republican majorities in Congress.