US Judge Partially Lifts Ban on DOGE’s Access to Sensitive Treasury Data

In a major development, U.S District Judge Jeannette A. Vargas has granted Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to partially access to information within the U.S. treasury department. Ryan Wunderly, the single member of DOGE department will be able to access Treasury payment systems and personally identifiable financial data, contingent upon his completion of standard Treasury training and submission of a financial disclosure.

The ban was first instituted after a lawsuit was filed by 19 Democratic state attorneys general, who raised privacy concerns surrounding the qualifications of DOGE employees, who are appointed through political favours. The state attorneys presented a strong argument which stated that such individuals posed a risk in handling delicate government records traditionally managed by trained civil servants.

“The court finds that, while broad access by DOGE remains inappropriate at this time, a narrowly tailored approach balancing governmental oversight and operational necessity is justified,” Judge Vargas wrote in her ruling. She added that the court would continue to monitor DOGE’s activity closely.

Supporters, however, argue the decision marks a step toward modernizing government processes. “We’re not looking to snoop or hack—we’re trying to streamline,” said Wunderly, a former operations lead at Tesla. “Our mission is efficiency with integrity.” The Department of the Treasury has yet to issue a formal response, but internal sources suggest that further safeguards may be introduced in the coming weeks.

Many political experts view Judge Vargas’s ruling as a compromise, allowing limited access while maintaining oversight. Meanwhile this recent decision highlights an important aspect of the ongoing debate over the balance between governmental efficiency initiatives and the safeguarding of sensitive information.

Edited by Pranoy Shukla