Unions Sue Treasury Department After It Agreed To Share Classified Data With Musk’s DOGE

Topline

The American Federation of Government Employees and other unions sued the Treasury Department on Monday, seeking to cut the Department of Government Efficiency’s access to Treasury data after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reportedly greenlit a plan to provide the data to the Elon Musk-led agency last weekend.

Key Facts

The lawsuit accuses the Treasury Department and Bessent of illegally allowing Musk’s DOGE to gain access to data from the Treasury Department’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service, which oversees federal payments and collections.

Last week, Bessent gave DOGE representatives access to its federal payment system, according to multiple outlets, with The New York Times noting the move gives Musk’s DOGE a tool to “monitor and potentially limit government spending.”

The lawsuit calls for “an immediate stop” to the Treasury Department’s “systematic, continuous, and ongoing violation of federal laws that protect the privacy of personal information contained in federal records.”

The lawsuit was filed by the Alliance for Retired Americans, the American Federation of Government Employees, and the Service Employees International Union, the latter two of which represent a mix of more than 2 million government, healthcare and public service employees.

The Treasury Department did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment.

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Key Background

The New York Times reported the Treasury Department’s payment systems have been “closely held,” citing the personal data held within them including that of Americans who receive tax refunds, Social Security checks and other federal government payments. In addition to the Treasury Department action, DOGE attracted similar controversy recently when officials attempted to physically enter the offices of the U.S. Agency for International Development to try and obtain classified information from the foreign assistance and humanitarian agency. DOGE representatives were able to access the classified materials despite lacking the security clearance to do so. Two USAID security officers were placed on leave after initially blocking DOGE officials while USAID’s public affairs team “was put on leave and locked out of their systems,” according to CNN.

Further Reading

What To Know About Trump’s USAID Changes—After Elon Musk’s DOGE Accesses Classified Info (Forbes)

USAID Controversy Live Updates: Marco Rubio Suggests Some Parts Will ‘Reorganize’—Rest ‘May Be Abolished’ (Forbes)