A federal judge in New York has partially revised a previous ruling that blocked President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing sensitive payment data at the Treasury Department. Judge Jeanette A. Vargas issued an opinion on Friday allowing one DOGE staff member, Ryan Wunderly, to access this information after undergoing standard federal employee training. Wunderly must also submit a financial disclosure report as part of an updated preliminary injunction.
This decision follows a lawsuit filed by 19 Democratic state attorneys general, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who argued that granting DOGE access to financial data was a breach of privacy. The lawsuit contended that political appointees should not have access to records containing sensitive information like Social Security and bank account numbers.
The DOGE commission, led by Elon Musk, claimed that access to this data was necessary for modernizing payment systems as part of the president’s efforts to reform the federal workforce and reduce government spending. Judge Vargas upheld restrictions prohibiting political appointees and special government appointees, including Musk, from accessing private data. Certain high-ranking officials, like Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, were exempt from these restrictions.
The Justice Department had sought to overturn the ban imposed by another federal judge, Judge Paul Engelmayer, which was stricter than the temporary limits agreed upon by the administration for DOGE personnel Marko Elez and Tom Krause. Elez, who resigned following controversy over racist social media posts, was replaced by Wunderly. The administration cited Wunderly’s expertise and training as vital to the DOGE Team’s operations.
Despite Elez’s reinstatement to DOGE, the legal battle over access to sensitive financial data continues. This text is copyrighted by Nexstar Media, Inc., and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, visit The Hill.
