Mercer Times

New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, along with a coalition of 13 other attorneys general, has issued a statement concerning the U.S. Department of the Treasury's decision to grant Elon Musk and his "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE) access to sensitive payment systems containing Americans' personally identifiable information.

The statement expressed concern over this decision, highlighting that "in the past week, the U.S. Department of the Treasury has given Elon Musk access to Americans’ personal private information, state bank account data, and other information that is some of our country’s most sensitive data."

Attorney General Platkin emphasized that "as the richest man in the world, Elon Musk is not used to being told ‘no,’ but in our country, no one is above the law." He further noted that "the President does not have the power to give away our private information to anyone he chooses, and he cannot cut federal payments approved by Congress."

The coalition criticized DOGE's level of access as "unlawful, unprecedented, and unacceptable," stating that DOGE lacks authority for such access. They argued that DOGE sought this information specifically "to block critical payments that millions of Americans rely on – payments that support health care, childcare, and other essential programs."

In response to these concerns about privacy rights and essential funding, Attorney General Platkin announced plans for legal action: “In defense of our Constitution, our right to privacy, and the essential funding that individuals and communities nationwide are counting on, we will be filing a lawsuit to stop this injustice.”

This statement was supported by attorneys general from New York, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, Rhode Island, and Vermont.