Read: Unions sue Trump admin in bid to stop DOGE access to sensitive data
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Protesters rally outside the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in Washington, D.C., on Monday. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Labor unions are suing the Trump administration in an attempt to stop the Elon Musk-led DOGE team from accessing private information at the Education and Treasury departments and the Office of Personnel Management.
Why it matters: The American Federation of Teachers (AFT)-led lawsuit that was filed in federal court Monday alleges giving DOGE access to this data "violates federal law" and that the departments "improperly disclosed" U.S. citizens' sensitive information.
- It's among several similar suits seeking to stop Musk's DOGE, which was created to cut government spending and streamline bureaucracy.
Driving the news: The latest lawsuit accuses the Trump administration of breaching the Privacy Act.
- "Steamrolling into sensitive government record systems threatens to upend how these critical systems are maintained and compromises the safety and security of personal identifying information for Americans all across the country," alleges the lawsuit, which was filed in Maryland.
What they're saying: "Elon Musk and his minions are stealing Americans' private personal and financial data in one of the biggest data hacks in U.S. history," AFT president Randi Weingarten said in an emailed statement Monday evening.
- "I suspect no one who voted for Donald Trump thought he would allow Musk permission to invade their privacy. This is a breach of our fundamental freedoms."
Zoom out: Federal judges have temporarily paused DOGE's access to Treasury information and blocked the Trump administration from putting on leave workers at USAID, the federal agency responsible for handling civilian foreign aid and development assistance that Musk called "politically partisan."
Meanwhile, labor unions are suing Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought over directives to freeze much of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's work after CFPB became a target of DOGE.
- Representatives for the White House, Education and Treasury departments and Office of Personnel Management did not immediately respond to Axios' requests for comment in the evening.
Read the lawsuit in full, via DocumentCloud:
More from Axios:
- What's at stake in DOGE's CFPB shutdown
- Musk's "move fast, break things" ethos threatens U.S. security
- Thune and Johnson vow to take DOGE spending cuts to the next level
Editor's note: This article has been updated with further context.
