In a significant legal development, a federal judge has decided not to halt Elon Musk’s team from accessing systems at the Labor Department, despite ongoing investigations into Musk’s ventures. The decision comes amidst a lawsuit filed by labor unions concerned about the security of sensitive data within the department.
U.S. District Judge John Bates, while expressing apprehension about the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Musk, stated that the labor unions have yet to demonstrate any legal harm suffered due to the department’s actions. “Although the court harbors concerns about defendants’ alleged conduct, it must deny plaintiffs’ motion at this time,” Bates noted.
Earlier this week, it was agreed by the Trump administration that DOGE would refrain from accessing the Labor Department systems until Judge Bates delivered a verdict. This agreement followed the unions’ lawsuit aimed at preventing DOGE employees from entering systems housing crucial medical and financial records, as well as investigative details on Musk’s companies like SpaceX and Tesla.
The Justice Department clarified that three DOGE members have been assigned to the Labor Department, reporting to its acting secretary. These individuals have been designated as special government employees, expected to handle corporate and worker information lawfully during their cost-reduction initiatives.
The lawsuit coincides with Musk’s expanding influence over federal functions, supported by former President Donald Trump. Musk’s DOGE team has previously accessed key Treasury Department payment systems, restructured the U.S. Agency for International Development, and proposed financial incentives for federal employees to resign.
According to labor union attorneys, “At every step, DOGE is violating multiple laws, from constitutional limits on executive power, to laws protecting civil servants from arbitrary threats and adverse action, to crucial protections for government data collected and stored on hundreds of millions of Americans.”
The Labor Department, home to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, has conducted safety investigations into Musk’s firms, as highlighted in the unions’ court submissions. Recently, union members were informed by department leadership of an impending visit from Musk’s team, advising cooperation without resistance or questioning.
The Justice Department has countered the unions’ claims, urging the court against issuing a broad preventative order based on speculative assertions of potential legal violations by the Labor Department.
In a related legal action, another judge temporarily restricted DOGE’s access to Treasury systems, allowing only limited “read-only” access to two staff members. One of these employees, Marko Elez, resigned following revelations of racist social media activity, although Musk announced plans to rehire him. Additionally, thirteen states have initiated lawsuits regarding DOGE’s access to federal payment systems.
