A federal judge on Friday refused to block DOGE workers from accessing the Treasury systems.
US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, a Clinton appointee, said the plaintiffs did not show there was an immediate risk to sensitive information being shared publicly.
“Plaintiffs’ concerns are understandable and no doubt widely shared. However, on the present record, Plaintiffs have not cleared the “high standard” of showing a likelihood of an irreparable injury that is “beyond remediation,” which is a prerequisite to the issuance of a preliminary injunction in this Circuit,” Judge Kollar-Kotelly wrote in a 44-page opinion.
“Merely asserting that the Treasury DOGE Team’s operations increase the risk of a catastrophic data breach or public disclosure of sensitive information … is not sufficient to support a preliminary injunction,” the judge wrote, according to AP.
The judge did say she is open to blocking DOGE in the future if the plaintiffs show evidence that a small team of workers are putting sensitive information at risk.
“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. But on the present record, Plaintiffs have not shown that Defendants have such a plan. If circumstances change, Plaintiffs are free to return to federal court to seek any proper emergency remedy,” the judge wrote.
Judge Kollar-Kotelly’s ruling on Friday has little impact because a separate judge in New York granted an injunction blocking DOGE from accessing Treasury systems.
The Associated Press reported:
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.
The post NEW: Federal Judge Declines to Block DOGE from Access to Treasury Systems appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.