A Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer, Marko Elez, violated Treasury Department policies by transmitting a spreadsheet containing personal information to officials within the Trump administration, according to a court filing on Friday.
Data Breach and Policy Violation
Elez, who was responsible for tracking Treasury payments, shared an unencrypted spreadsheet without prior written approval. The document contained names and transaction details, though it did not include Social Security numbers or birth dates. This breach has raised concerns about the security protocols of DOGE’s work within Treasury and other federal agencies.
Court Concerns Over Data Access
The lawsuit, filed by New York and other state attorneys general, aims to prevent DOGE from accessing sensitive taxpayer and beneficiary information. The court had previously restricted DOGE’s access to Treasury payments systems, citing potential risks, including federal default and disruption of social support payments.
The attorneys general argue that the latest revelation strengthens their case, highlighting a lack of proper training and oversight. “These new declarations confirm that the court’s concerns were well founded,” they stated in their filing.
Treasury Investigation and Findings
A forensic analysis by the Treasury Department revealed that Elez had briefly had read-write access to sensitive data, contradicting previous claims that his access was read-only. However, the analysis confirmed that he did not modify any records.
After Elez’s resignation, it was discovered that he had emailed personal data to two officials at the General Services Administration (GSA). Treasury’s privacy officer, David Ambrose, stated that although the data was considered “low-risk personally identifiable information (PII),” its unauthorized distribution still violated Bureau of Fiscal Service policies.
Impact on Government Data Security
The judge overseeing the case had previously blocked DOGE-affiliated employees from accessing personal financial data. However, the government has been seeking to lift this restriction, arguing that DOGE staffers need access to identify fraud in social insurance programs.
Elez, who previously worked for SpaceX and social media platform X—both owned by Elon Musk—was rehired by DOGE at the Social Security Administration. Currently, 10 DOGE staffers are working on waste and fraud elimination within social programs, requiring direct access to beneficiary data.
Musk and Trump’s Role in DOGE
Elon Musk has been tasked by former President Donald Trump with streamlining federal spending, including Treasury payments. The lawsuit alleges that DOGE’s access to Treasury systems puts millions of Americans’ financial data at risk, including Social Security checks, veteran’s benefits, Medicare and Medicaid payments, and child-tax credits.
The case continues as the court weighs security concerns against government efficiency initiatives.
