Attorney General Anne Lopez announced a significant legal victory for Hawaiʻi in a lawsuit involving Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency, or “DOGE.” The coalition of 19 attorneys general, led by Lopez, succeeded in obtaining a preliminary injunction from Judge Jeannette Vargas of the Southern District of New York. This order prevents unauthorized government employees like Musk and DOGE from accessing the Treasury’s central payment system while the lawsuit is ongoing.
The lawsuit, filed on February 7, 2025, accuses the Trump administration of illegally granting Musk and DOGE access to sensitive personal information stored within the Treasury Department’s central payment system. This data includes bank account details and Social Security numbers. The expanded access could potentially allow Musk’s team to block federal funds for essential services such as health care and childcare. The recent ruling follows an earlier temporary restraining order issued by Judge Vargas on February 8, 2025.
“The people of Hawaiʻi have every reason to be outraged at the reckless conduct of the Trump administration with their personal identifying information and financial data,” stated Attorney General Anne Lopez. She emphasized that “the U.S. Treasury’s systems contain highly sensitive data about Americans” and highlighted “a substantial risk of harm where data access protocols do not vet the employees or train them in data security measures.”
Hawaiʻi is represented by Solicitor General Kalikoʻonālani Fernandes and Special Assistant to the Attorney General Dave Day in this matter. Attorneys general from New York, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin have joined Attorney General James in this lawsuit.
