U.S. Federal Court Judge Tanya Chutkan has rejected a request by 14 Democratic attorneys general for a temporary injunction that would restrict Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing or transferring data from seven government agencies. This is reported by The Verge.
The states argued that Musk and DOGE were acting without proper authority, gaining unprecedented access to data and cutting federal staff and agency projects.
Judge Chutkan ruled that the states had not shown that they would suffer irreparable harm without an injunction. She suggested that their claims regarding the Appointments Clause, which requires confirmation by the President and Senate, may have merit, but allowed DOGE to proceed at this point. The states may still pursue the case and seek a preliminary injunction.
Judge Chutkan also rejected the government's request to lift the ban restricting DOGE's access to the Treasury Department's payment systems. At the same time, she clarified that this ban does not apply to the head of the department, Scott Bessent, and other senior officials approved by the Senate.