Public Citizen has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Treasury Department and its head, Scott Bessent, accusing them of illegally accessing the financial data of millions of Americans, The Verge reports.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of several organizations, alleges that the Ministry of Finance violated the Privacy Act of 1974 by granting Elon Musk and the DOGE department access to this data.
Senators Ron Wyden and Elizabeth Warren expressed concern about the possible abuse of access to data. They demanded clarification on information security measures. The incident raises concerns about potential legal challenges to DOGE's actions and the implications of the Trump administration's recent moves.
Іn controlling key parts of the U.S. federal government, Elon Musk has been operating with little or no oversight. Despite legal challenges and resistance from some agencies and labor unions, his influence has led to significant changes, including control over the Office of Personnel Management and the General Services Administration, access to classified information, and the closure of USAID. The lawsuit also alleges that the Trump administration has failed to provide adequate oversight, raising fears of an authoritarian government takeover. Despite the serious consequences, no structure is able to effectively curb Musk's aggressive actions within the federal bureaucracy.
Scott Bessent, the recently appointed acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and Treasury Secretary, has ordered the agency to cease all activities, including rulemaking, effectively shutting down the bureau. This could hinder the implementation of a new rule banning the sale of sensitive personal information such as social security numbers. There have also been concerns about Bessent's role in providing DOGE with access to the US federal payment system, which was the subject of a request from Senator Elizabeth Warren.
Bessent expressed his readiness to work with the CFPB to implement President Trump's program to reduce costs and stimulate economic growth.