A bunch of unions representing federal workers filed a lawsuit on Monday towards Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, alleging that he illegally allowed billionaire Elon Musk and his military of unqualified Division of Authorities Effectivity bros to entry delicate private info in violation of the Privateness Act of 1974.
The lawsuit is in response to a Washington Put up report, which stated that Musk pressured out the highest profession Treasury official accountable for overseeing trillions of {dollars} of presidency funds in order that DOGE aides might entry the fee techniques. These techniques are chargeable for dealing with trillions of {dollars} of tax income, in addition to disbursing funds for Social Safety and Medicare advantages, tax refunds, authorities grants, and extra.
The lawsuit, filed by the Alliance for Retired Individuals, the American Federation of Authorities Workers, and the Service Workers Worldwide Union, seeks to halt Musk and DOGE’s reported entry to that delicate Treasury Division information, saying that “[t]he Privacy Act prohibits Defendants from disclosing records on individuals to Mr. Musk, other individuals associated with DOGE, or any other person without the individual’s consent except in specified circumstances.”
The lawsuit alleges that “Bessent’s action granting DOGE-affiliated individuals full, continuous, and ongoing access to that information for an unspecified period of time means that retirees, taxpayers, federal employees, companies, and other individuals from all walks of life have no assurance that their information will receive the protection that federal law affords. And because Defendants’ actions and decisions are shrouded in secrecy, individuals will not have even basic information about what personal or financial information that Defendants are sharing with outside parties or how their information is being used.”
Other than this lawsuit, Senate Democrats on Monday stated they may introduce a invoice to dam Musk and DOGE’s entry to the Treasury Division information.
“Let’s not mince words here,” Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the rating member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, stated in a information convention. “An unelected, unaccountable billionaire—with expansive conflicts of interest, deep ties to China, and an indiscreet axe to grind against perceived enemies—is hijacking our nation’s most sensitive financial data systems and its checkbook so that he can illegally block funds to our constituents, based on the slightest whim or wildest conspiracy. Funds—mind you—that Congress passed on a bipartisan basis.”
Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries additionally stated on Monday that Home Democrats will introduce related laws.
“[A]t my direction, legislation will be introduced shortly to prevent unlawful access to the Department of Treasury Bureau of the Fiscal Service payment system that contains highly confidential and personal information related to Social Security and Medicare recipients, taxpayers, households, nonprofits, businesses and federal contractors,” Jeffries stated in a letter to Home Democrats.
After all, any laws would require Republican assist because the GOP controls each the Home and the Senate. And Republicans have proven zero need to cease Trump and Musk from finishing up actions that can clearly trigger hurt for thousands and thousands of Individuals, whether or not it’s freezing all federal funds, shutting down federal companies, or confirming unqualified radical lunatics to Trump’s Cupboard.
With Republicans in cost, the final hope now we have is the courtroom system. And on condition that the courts have been crammed with radical MAGA judges, and the Supreme Courtroom has been compromised by three Trump appointees, together with right-wing Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, we could not be capable to belief that department of presidency both.
