In Washington, a federal judge is set to review a request on Friday that aims to restrict Elon Musk’s advisory team, known as DOGE, from accessing certain systems within the Labor Department that have been scrutinizing Musk’s business operations.
A coalition of labor unions has filed a lawsuit to prevent DOGE employees from entering systems they claim harbor confidential data regarding workers, particularly those who have lodged safety complaints against their employers.
The Labor Department is also believed to contain information pertaining to investigations involving Musk’s ventures such as SpaceX and Tesla, along with sensitive trade secrets from other companies, according to the unions’ legal documents.
However, the Justice Department countered the unions’ claims, arguing that they are merely baseless speculations and have yet to demonstrate how DOGE employees would access the alleged sensitive information. It noted that three DOGE staff members have been assigned to the Labor Department for a redesign of its budget operations.
The case is being presided over by U.S. District Judge John Bates, who was appointed by former President George W. Bush.
This lawsuit arises amid Musk’s expanding influence over significant aspects of the federal government, receiving support from President Donald Trump. Musk’s team has reportedly secured access to critical financial systems within the Treasury Department, rendered the U.S. Agency for International Development nearly defunct, and proposed financial incentives for numerous federal employees to resign.
According to legal representatives for the unions, an advocacy group called Democracy Forward stated, “At every turn, DOGE is infringing upon various laws, including constitutional constraints on executive authority, regulations designed to protect civil service employees from arbitrary risks and retaliation, and essential safeguards for government-held data gathered from millions of Americans.”
The Labor Department includes the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which has probed SpaceX and Tesla regarding safety protocols for employees, as mentioned in the unions’ filings.
This week, a union representative reported that Labor Department officials informed them Musk and his team would be conducting a visit, urging employees to comply without resistance or inquiries.
The Justice Department argues there is insufficient evidence of illegal activity and contends that the judge should not impose an overly broad preventative order solely based on the unions’ unsubstantiated fears that the Labor Department could contravene the law.
In a related matter, another judge previously imposed temporary limitations on DOGE’s access to Treasury systems that facilitate the processing of trillions of dollars in annual payments, allowing only two employees with “read only” access. Additionally, thirteen states have announced intentions to litigate against DOGE’s access to federal payment networks.
