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The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Treasury Department and Secretary Scott Bessent. The suit, lodged in a federal court in Washington, D.C., alleges that the Treasury has unlawfully disclosed sensitive personal and financial information to Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency enforcers (DOGE).
The AFL-CIO, which is the largest union group in the country, claims that this disclosure represents a "massive and unprecedented" invasion of privacy. The lawsuit argues that individuals who are required to share information with the federal government should not be compelled to share their data with Musk or his DOGE team.
The controversy stems from a commitment by former President Donald Trump to reduce federal spending, appointing Musk to spearhead the initiative with DOGE. The legal challenge coincides with concerns expressed by top Democrats, including Senate leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Elizabeth Warren, about Musk and DOGE’s access to Treasury systems.
On February 1, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden posted on Bluesky that sources had informed his office that DOGE had been granted full access to the Treasury’s payments system. This system contains sensitive data such as names, Social Security numbers, and banking information of millions of people.
In response to these developments, Schumer announced plans to introduce legislation intended to prevent unauthorized interference with the Treasury Department’s payment systems. He emphasized that DOGE is not an official government agency and lacks the authority to make spending decisions or to bypass federal law.
Senator Warren also voiced concerns, stating that the Treasury’s system is now vulnerable to Musk, who could potentially exploit the information for personal use.
The Treasury and the U.S. DOGE Service, the parent agency of DOGE, have not yet commented on the lawsuit.
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