Union Groups Sue U.S. Treasury Over Alleged Unlawful Data Sharing 

• AFL-CIO filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Treasury, alleging unauthorized data sharing with the Musk-led D.O.G.E. task force.
• Concerns arise over D.O.G.E.’s access to Social Security and Medicare databases, potentially leading to political interference.
• Acting Deputy Secretary David Lebryk resigned following D.O.G.E.’s request for financial infrastructure access within the Treasury.

Union groups have taken action against the United States Treasury, alleging it unlawfully endowed Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (D.O.G.E) access to sensitive financial and personal data. The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) filed the case in a Washington, DC, federal court on February 3, seeking to stop what it describes as an unauthorized disclosure of confidential information.

Concerns Over Privacy Breach

The AFL-CIO claims individuals required to provide financial details to the government should not have their information exposed to Musk and D.O.G.E. The lawsuit follows reports that the task force, which operates under the Trump administration, gained access to key Treasury databases. These include Social Security and Medicare payment systems, raising concerns over potential misuse of taxpayer data.

According to the lawsuit, D.O.G.E’s ability to retrieve taxpayer information presents risks of politically motivated interference in federal payments. Senate Finance Committee Democrat Ron Wyden addressed the issue in a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Wyden warned that unauthorized access could disrupt essential government payment systems, leading to serious economic repercussions.

Resignation at the Treasury Department

The controversy has already impacted the Treasury Department. Acting Deputy Secretary David Lebryk resigned after more than three decades of service, reportedly following D.O.G.E’s request for access to the department’s financial infrastructure. 

In a farewell letter to Treasury employees, Lebryk emphasized the importance of the Fiscal Service in maintaining stable government operations. He stated that while much of its work remains unnoticed by the public, it is essential to the country’s functionality.

D.O.G.E was established to reduce wasteful spending and eliminate unnecessary regulations. Its official mission, outlined in an executive order, is to modernize federal technology and software to improve government productivity.

The organization was announced in November 2024, during Donald Trump’s second term, and was initially set to be co-led by Vivek Ramaswamy alongside Musk. However, Ramaswamy left before the task force’s launch.