Musk’s DOGE experience win and loss amid legal battles


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  • Two federal judges released rulings on Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) attempts to cut government spending. U.S. District Judge John Bates ruled in favor of DOGE accessing sensitive records from three agencies, while U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas maintained a restraining order preventing DOGE from accessing the Treasury Department’s payment system.
  • Judge Bates determined that DOGE likely qualifies as an “agency,” allowing it to access sensitive information from the Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
  • In contrast, judge Vargas declined to issue a longer-term injunction but kept the restraining order in place.

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Two federal judges released their rulings on Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency’s latest attempts to cut government spending. One judge sided with him to collect data from three agencies, while the other sided against his attempts at gaining access to the Treasury Department’s payment system.

How did the federal judges rule?

The first judge, U.S. District Judge John Bates, denied a request made by a group of unions and nonprofits to block Musk and DOGE from accessing sensitive records from the Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

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The judge said his decision came down to whether DOGE has the authority to “detail” its people to individual parts of the federal government. The judge claimed, as employees of that department or agency, those associated with DOGE would legally have access to sensitive records.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs argued DOGE is not an agency, since it was created by an executive order. That would mean DOGE isn’t entitled to detail its employees to parts of the federal government.

Bates determined that DOGE was likely an “agency” and determined DOGE has access to the sensitive information.

In a separate ruling, U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas declined to rule on a longer-term preliminary injunction to keep DOGE from accessing the Treasury Department’s payment system. Vargas instead kept the current restraining order against the agency that was issued on Feb. 8.

The case was brought by 19 Democratic attorneys general, who were seeking to block DOGE from accessing personal information from the payment system.

Why does Musk and DOGE want access to the payment system?

Musk has repeatedly criticized the Treasury Department and has said that they have never denied a payment to anyone. He also claimed the department was approving payments to terrorist groups.

Some experts said Musk could try to use the system to stop funds from being disbursed from the federal government. However, it’s unclear if that happened while DOGE had control of the system.

According to CNN, DOGE officials did try to pressure the Treasury Department to stop payments to the United States Agency for International Development on Jan. 24.

What’s next in the cases?

As of now, it’s unclear how many more court rulings could still be coming against Musk and DOGE. He has proposed several cuts to federal agencies that could continue to face legal and legislative problems.

Since President Donald Trump was inaugurated, there have been at least 70 lawsuits against him and his initiatives.

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Bias comparison

  • Media outlets on the left emphasize the involvement of multiple states in the lawsuit against Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, framing it as a significant legal conflict featuring public officials.
  • Not enough coverage from media outlets in the center to provide a bias comparison.
  • Media outlets on the right focus on the implications of potential cybersecurity risks due to unauthorized access to sensitive data, presenting a more alarming tone about privacy concerns.

Media landscape

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Key points from the Left

  • A Manhattan Federal Court judge extended the temporary restraining order preventing the Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, from accessing U.S. Treasury data while legal issues are reviewed.
  • New York Attorney General Letitia James is leading a lawsuit from 19 states against Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, asserting that unauthorized access to confidential data could harm citizens.
  • U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas stated there was good cause to extend the temporary restraining order, allowing time to consider the legal complexities involving Musk's actions and Trump's administration's policies on federal spending.
  • Musk's Department of Government Efficiency faces scrutiny from multiple lawsuits concerning the lack of legal authorization to access sensitive Treasury systems.

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Key points from the Right

  • A New York federal judge extended a temporary order blocking Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency from accessing Treasury Department payment systems containing sensitive data on millions of Americans.
  • The attorneys general from various states argue that DOGE's access poses a huge cybersecurity risk and violates the law, potentially leading to unauthorized use of personal information.
  • Judge Jeannette A. Vargas reserved her ruling on a request for a longer injunction, stating it would not come on the same day of the hearing.
  • The lawsuit claims Musk's staff illegally accessed sensitive financial data related to Americans' Social Security and tax refunds.

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