Justice Department Reveals Unauthorized Data Access by Musk's Government Efficiency Team
A recent court filing from the Trump administration has exposed significant data security concerns involving billionaire Elon Musk's controversial "Department of Government Efficiency" initiative. According to a Justice Department "notice of corrections for the record" filed on Friday, DOGE staffers working within the Social Security Administration gained unauthorized access to sensitive personal information and may have coordinated their activities with an outside advocacy group.
False Statements and Policy Violations
The filing reveals that government officials previously made false statements in court proceedings, claiming that DOGE team members had no access to personal identifying information when they actually did access such data in multiple specific instances. The Justice Department document states the administration uncovered "communications, use of data, and other actions by the then-SSA DOGE Team that were potentially outside of SSA policy" or in violation of a court order.
This court order stemmed from union efforts to block DOGE from accessing people's sensitive Social Security data. The revelations contradict previous official statements made during the legal proceedings.
Specific Instances of Data Mishandling
In one particularly concerning incident, DOGE staffers shared an email attachment containing approximately one thousand people's names and addresses with their affiliates in other government agencies. This represents a clear violation of data protection protocols and privacy standards.
In another troubling development, an advocacy group approached two members of the DOGE team requesting assistance with analyzing voter rolls the group had acquired. The group's stated objective was overturning election results in certain states, raising serious questions about potential political motivations behind the data access.
Coordination with Outside Groups
The court filing provides disturbing details about the relationship between DOGE staffers and external organizations. "In connection with these communications, one of the DOGE team members signed a 'Voter Data Agreement,' in his capacity as an SSA employee, with the advocacy group," the document states.
While the filing notes there's currently no evidence that SSA data was actually shared with the advocacy group, it reveals that "email communications reviewed by SSA suggest that DOGE Team members could have been asked to assist the advocacy group by accessing SSA data to match to the voter rolls."
Timeline of Events and Legal Context
The apparent breaches of SSA policy occurred primarily in March of last year, mostly before a federal court granted a request from the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees to block DOGE access to SSA records. This legal action was taken to protect sensitive citizen information from potential misuse.
In a significant development last June, the Supreme Court ruled that DOGE could continue its operations while the case made its way through the judicial system. This decision allowed the controversial initiative to proceed despite growing concerns about data security and privacy violations.
Background of Musk's DOGE Initiative
Elon Musk initially launched the Department of Government Efficiency with ambitious promises to identify fraud within federal agencies and potentially save the government as much as $2 trillion. However, the effort ultimately fizzled last year, culminating in a dramatic falling-out between Musk and the president in June.
During its operation, Musk's team at Social Security attempted to implement various anti-fraud measures, including requiring more Social Security claimants to travel to field offices instead of filing claims over the phone. These initiatives faced significant public backlash and were eventually abandoned.
Whistleblower Complaint and Broader Implications
In August, the seriousness of the situation became even more apparent when the Social Security Administration's chief data officer, Charles Borges, submitted a whistleblower complaint to Congress. Borges accused DOGE staffers of improperly creating a live copy of Social Security's most sensitive database and recklessly storing it on a cloud server.
"Americans may be susceptible to widespread identity theft, may lose vital healthcare and food benefits, and the government may be responsible for re-issuing every American a new Social Security Number at great cost," Borges warned in his complaint.
In a statement on Tuesday, Debra Katz, an attorney representing Borges, emphasized that "this court filing validates the concerns he raised that the actions of DOGE officials compromised the data of Americans."
The Social Security Administration did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding these serious allegations. The revelations raise fundamental questions about data security protocols within government agencies and the appropriate boundaries for private initiatives operating within public institutions.
