30° and Overcast
Image
Coalition of 19 attorneys general seeks injunction against new Trump Administration policy granting broad access to Americans’ private data and payment controls.
2-10-2025 3:17pm
AG Platkin Sues to Block Alleged Unauthorized Access to Treasury System by Elon Musk and “DOGE”
NEW JERSEY – New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin joined a coalition of 19 state attorneys general in a lawsuit against the Trump Administration, alleging it unlawfully granted Elon Musk and the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (“DOGE”) unprecedented access to the Treasury Department’s central payment system. According to the suit, this expanded access violates federal law and endangers the confidential personal information of millions of Americans, including Social Security numbers and bank account details.
Unlawful Expansion of Treasury System Access
At the heart of the legal challenge is a February 2, 2025, Treasury Department policy that, for the first time, permits “special government employees”—including Musk and DOGE members—to use the Bureau of Fiscal Services (BFS) central payment system. BFS administers critical payments, from Social Security and veterans benefits to Medicare/Medicaid disbursements and federal funding for law enforcement, education, and infrastructure at the state level.
“President Trump has allowed an unelected billionaire to infiltrate key federal agencies and systems that store Social Security numbers, banking information, and other extremely sensitive data for millions of people,” said Attorney General Platkin.
The attorneys general maintain that federal law strictly limits BFS system access to career civil servants with necessary security clearances. By extending clearance to Musk and DOGE—both outside government ranks—the new policy allegedly conflicts with:
- Privacy and data security laws, given Musk and DOGE are unauthorized persons.
- Constitutional safeguards, including separation of powers, since expanding BFS access could enable Musk and DOGE to freeze or redirect federal funds critical to states’ budgets and residents’ well-being.
This lawsuit seeks to protect sensitive personal information while preserving everything from Social Security checks to Medicaid reimbursements and other federally funded essential services for New Jerseyans. The Lawsuit claims that allowing Elon Musk and other political appointees with no official oversight to manipulate, or potentially halt, the flow of federal funds violates the Constitution.
Injunction Sought to Halt Policy
The coalition requests a court injunction to immediately block the Treasury Department from implementing the BFS access policy. They further seek a declaratory judgment that the policy is “unlawful and unconstitutional.”
“These unlawful actions have put at risk the financial and information security of our State and residents and Americans across the country, and they are completely unacceptable. Americans never elected Elon Musk, and our lawsuit seeks to protect New Jerseyans from this unprecedented breach of privacy, and of the laws of our nation. I will never back down from a fight to protect our residents from harm — even if it is against the richest man in the world,” said Attorney General Platkin.
Alongside New Jersey, attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin have joined the suit. The coalition underscores the need for swift action to prevent irreparable harm to states’ budgets and millions of Americans’ personal data.
For more information about the lawsuit or to read the full complaint, visit the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office or follow updates through official news releases.
