Federal unions sue over Musk’s Doge gaining access to sensitive records

Source: The Guardian

Excerpt: Three federal employee unions are suing the Trump administration, alleging that Elon Musk’s “department of government efficiency” (Doge) has been granted unprecedented and potentially illegal access to sensitive government records.

The lawsuit, filed on Monday in federal court, claims that the treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, violated federal privacy laws by giving Musk’s team full access to the Bureau of the Fiscal Service’s confidential payment systems.

Why this matters: Unions are power builders! Excerpted from The Record. article by Suzanne Smalley: Representing 7.2 million people, plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which include the Alliance for Retired Americans, the American Federation of Government Employees and the Service Employees International Union, allege that Musk and his surrogates are violating a federal law known as the Privacy Act, which bans the government from sharing individuals’ records without consent or unless a statutory exception applies.

Photo: AFGE