A judge in the nation's capital declines to block DOGE from Treasury systems

President Donald Trump listens as Elon Musk speaks in the Oval Office at the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Washington. (Photo/Alex Brandon)

Joseph Prezioso/AFP / Getty Images

A federal judge in Washington refused Friday to block employees of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency from accessing Treasury systems containing sensitive personal data for millions of Americans.

She acknowledged, however, privacy concerns about their work. DOGE is still limited by a different court order in New York.

In Washington, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly previously restricted DOGE’s work at Treasury to two employees with read-only access, with the Trump administration’s cooperation. One of those workers later resigned after being linked with social media posts that espoused racism; Musk said he would be rehired.