Authored by Tom Ozimek via The Epoch Times,
A federal judge in Washington has refused to block staff from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing the Treasury Department’s systems that contain millions of Americans’ personal data.
U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly—who previously restricted DOGE’s work at the Treasury to two employees with read-only access—issued a decision on March 7 that rejects a request from the Alliance for Retired Americans and several employee unions to bar DOGE staff from the Treasury’s Fiscal Service system, which processes roughly 90 percent of federal payments.
In her ruling, Kollar-Kotelly determined that the plaintiffs had failed to establish that allowing DOGE employees access to the system would result in irreparable harm.
“If Plaintiffs could show that Defendants imminently planned to make their private information public or to share that information with individuals outside the federal government with no obligation to maintain its confidentiality, the Court would not hesitate to find a likelihood of irreparable harm,” the judge wrote.
She found no indication of any plans to misuse or improperly disclose sensitive data, and noted that the plaintiffs are free to return to court to seek emergency remedy if these circumstances change.
The decision also lifts Kollar-Kotelly’s earlier access restrictions, which had permitted two DOGE-affiliated individuals to view the Fiscal Service system on a read-only basis.
The Epoch Times has contacted counsel for the plaintiffs with a request for comment on the ruling.
DOGE staff remain barred from the Fiscal Service under a separate order issued by U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas in New York.
Vargas, responding to a lawsuit from 19 Democratic attorneys general, partially granted their request to block DOGE personnel from the Treasury’s payment system, citing concerns over insufficient vetting and training.
“Indeed, taking the time to adequately mitigate potential security concerns and properly onboard members to engage in this work outweighs the defendants’ immediate need to access and redevelop [the] Treasury system,” Vargas stated in her 64-page order.
“Without addressing these issues, the potential consequences of a cybersecurity breach could be catastrophic.”
Vargas left open the possibility of lifting or modifying her order if the administration certifies that DOGE staff have undergone proper training and obtained necessary security clearances.
She also denied the plaintiffs’ request to impose broader restrictions preventing DOGE from creating processes to stop payments within the Treasury’s systems. Vargas argued that such measures would “far exceed” the scope of the earlier temporary restraining order and that the plaintiffs had not justified the need for such extensive relief against DOGE.
Trump administration officials have defended DOGE’s presence at the Treasury, arguing that DOGE is carrying out measures that will ultimately improve the efficiency of government operations.
Critics say that DOGE’s involvement raises security and oversight issues, particularly given its relatively new and undefined role in federal financial management.
President Donald Trump created DOGE on his first day in office, directing it to explore ways to eliminate wasteful government spending and streamline federal operations.
DOGE staffers have moved quickly and aggressively to audit and pursue reforms across federal agencies, with the advisory body recently reporting $105 billion in savings through canceled grants, asset sales, workforce reductions, and terminated contracts and leases.
A number of lawsuits have been filed to halt DOGE’s operations, leading to a mix of rulings.
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