A federal judge on Friday refused to ban Elon Musk's government cost-cutting department from accessing the US Department of Labor systems, marking the first setback for public service unions resisting his efforts to reduce federal bureaucracy, writes Reuters.
The temporary decision by US District Judge John Bates in Washington was the first step in a lawsuit against the Department of Labor filed by one of the largest American unions, which claims that billionaire Musk could obtain confidential information and use it for personal purposes. The union, representing the interests of approximately 800,000 public servants, stated that this potentially gives Musk access to non-public information obtained during investigations by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration regarding SpaceX, Tesla, and his tunneling company The Boring Company, as well as investigations into his competitors.
Bates ruled that «while the court is concerned about the alleged behavior of the defendants», the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations did not prove that the Department of Labor's actions harmed them.
Another group of federal employee and retiree unions sued the Department of the Treasury to block what they believe is the illegal transfer of confidential payment data to DOGE employees. On Wednesday, the Treasury temporarily agreed not to provide further access while the case is under consideration.
President Donald Trump tasked Musk, the world's richest person and owner of the electric vehicle company Tesla, space technology company SpaceX, and other enterprises, to lead the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, to identify fraud and waste in the government.
Musk's efforts have alarmed lawmakers and human rights groups, as he significantly exceeds his authority by attempting to dismantle agencies responsible for critical government programs and massively lay off federal employees.
Musk's rapid takeover of US government institutions has allowed the businessman to establish unprecedented control over America's 2.2-million-strong federal workforce and begin a radical reorganization of the government. Musk has already achieved the closure of the US Agency for International Development and stated that USAID is canceling dozens of government contracts for consulting and leasing unused premises.
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