Judge Says Treasury Data Limit Applies to DOGE, Not Bessent
- Elon Musk’s team remains barred from access to payments system
- Judge cites credible risk to personal data of Americans
The US Treasury Department in Washington, DC.
Photographer: Al Drago/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
A judge in Manhattan agreed that US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent should be allowed to access sensitive federal government payments data during a lawsuit, even as Elon Musk’s government efficiency team will remain locked out for now.
The ruling Tuesday by US District Judge Jeannette Vargas is a partial win for President Donald Trump, who argued that limiting Bessent’s access to the Treasury Department data infringed on the executive branch. But it curbs, for now, some of the sweeping authority Trump granted the world’s richest man as he seeks to shrink federal spending across the government.