Federal Judge Rejects Motion to Prevent DOGE from Accessing Labor Department Systems

February 8, 2025 TruthUSA

AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler announced that unions will intensify efforts to prevent DOGE from gaining access to the Labor Department’s systems.

A federal judge dismissed a motion on Friday that sought to block the Labor Department from allowing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) access to its sensitive information systems.

U.S. District Judge John Bates indicated that, despite the court’s apprehensions regarding DOGE’s purported conduct in accessing the data, the plaintiffs have not proven legal standing to continue the lawsuit.

“This data includes the medical and financial records of millions of Americans. However, based on the current record, the plaintiffs have not established standing,” Bates noted in his nine-page ruling.

The motion was submitted by a coalition of labor unions on February 5, which contended that DOGE, an advisory committee headlined by tech billionaire Elon Musk, lacks the statutory authority to access confidential systems.

The plaintiffs comprise the AFL-CIO, the Service Employees International Union, and the Economic Policy Institute, a think tank located in Washington.

The unions contended that DOGE breached multiple laws by accessing sensitive systems, including those at the Treasury Department and the Office of Personnel Management, anticipating that the Labor Department would be the next focus.

“Based on our information and belief, the pattern will likely continue: they will insist that DOGE staff be granted access to systems they are legally prohibited from accessing; they will terminate any employee who safeguards those systems’ integrity; and they will assert powers and authority that has never been granted by Congress in relation to agency staff and Department programs,” the unions claimed in their court filing.

“In contrast to its legal and regulatory responsibilities, the Department of Labor and its current leadership are yielding to this takeover, instructing employees to provide DOGE access to anything they request regardless of security protocols—or face termination,” they further asserted.

The unions claimed that DOGE will obtain insights into the Labor Department’s investigations concerning Musk’s corporate interests along with sensitive trade secret information about Musk’s competitors maintained by the department.

In response to the court’s decision, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler remarked that the unions will present additional evidence to support their claims while renewing their efforts to block DOGE from accessing the data.

“This is a setback, but not a defeat,” Shuler stated in a statement on February 7.

Democratic lawmakers have been advocating for the revocation of DOGE’s access to federal payment systems. On February 6, attorneys general from 14 states declared that the level of access granted to Musk concerning Americans’ personal data was “unlawful” and “unacceptable.” They announced intentions to initiate legal actions to prevent DOGE from accessing the Treasury Department’s payment systems.

The attorneys general contended that President Donald Trump “lacks the authority” to confer upon DOGE access to Americans’ private information or to withhold federal payments duly approved by Congress.

Justice Department attorneys submitted a proposed order on February 5, indicating that the federal government will temporarily restrict DOGE’s access to information within the Treasury Department’s payment system and permit special government employees to have “read-only” access to the data.

“The Defendants will not permit access to any payment record or payment system of records held by or within the Bureau of the Fiscal Service,” stated the government lawyers.

DOGE has been assigned the task of reviewing agencies for possible reductions in federal expenditures and enhancing government efficiency. Previously, Trump had asserted that Musk would require White House approval for any actions and that the government “wouldn’t allow him to interfere” if there were conflicts of interest.

Zachary Stieber and Stacy Robinson contributed to this report.

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