United States federal employee unions filed a lawsuit against the US Treasury Department, seeking to block Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing a key financial system that processes trillions in payments, including Social Security and Medicare.
The lawsuit was filed in Washington DC by the Alliance for Retired Americans, the American Federation of Government Employees and the Service Employees International Union. It alleges that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent unlawfully granted DOGE officials access to the Bureau of the Fiscal Service's payment records without public notice or legal justification. The unions claim this move violates federal privacy laws and exposes sensitive financial data of millions of Americans, including federal employees, retirees and taxpayers.
According to the complaint, Bessent authorized DOGE's access after placing a senior Treasury official who had previously denied the request on leave. Plaintiffs argue that this violates the Privacy Act of 1974 and the Internal Revenue Code, which restricts unauthorized disclosures of taxpayer information.