Democrat-Led States Sue to Stop Federal Payments From Being Made Public

A coalition of 14 Democrat-led states are suing to stop the public release of who the Federal government has been writing checks to.

The coalition said that the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an advisory committee led by tech billionaire Elon Musk, has no authority to access federal government systems—which they said contain bank account data and “some of our country’s most sensitive data.” Supporters of DOGE contend that it is official, and legal, much like a blue ribbon panel created by dozens of former presidents.

“This level of access for unauthorized individuals is unlawful, unprecedented, and unacceptable,” the coalition said in a statement released by New Jersey Democrat Attorney General Matthew Platkin.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent granted DOGE access to the Treasury’s payment system after Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20. DOGE has been tasked with reviewing agencies for potential downsizing and termination, including the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), to reduce federal spending and boost government efficiency. The downsizing effort also has the potential to reveal misspending by the government that benefits liberal organizations and Democrat causes.

The states assert they are defending “our Constitution, our right to privacy, and the essential funding that individuals and communities nationwide are counting on,” according to a press release.

The coalition includes Platkin and attorneys general from New York, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, Rhode Island, and Vermont – all controlled by Democrats.

Unions also sue to prevent release of check registers

In a strange turn of events, a coalition of labor unions on Feb. 5 sued to block DOGE access to federal ‘check stubs,’ or payment systems, alleging that it violates “constitutional limits on executive power” and “laws protecting civil servants from arbitrary threats and adverse action.” It is not clear if or why a labor union would have standing in such a suit unless they were beneficiaries of government spending, something that may be illegal.

Great coordination across 35 agencies over the last two days to terminate 199 wasteful contracts saving ~$250mm, including:

-Contract for “Asia Pacific – Sri Lanka climate change mitigation adaption and resilience coordinator services for forest service”
-Workshop for…

— Department of Government Efficiency (@DOGE) February 8, 2025

The plaintiffs—which include the AFL-CIO, the Service Employees International Union, and the Economic Policy Institute—sought a temporary restraining order or administrative stay to keep federal payments out of the public eye.

Biden-era Justice Department attorneys issued a proposed order on Feb. 5 saying the federal government will temporarily restrict DOGE from accessing information in the Treasury Department’s payment system and allow special government employees “read-only” access to payment records.

“The Defendants will not provide access to any payment record or payment system of records maintained by or within the Bureau of the Fiscal Service,” it said.

–By Aldgra Fredly | The Epoch Times | Zachary Stieber and Stacy Robinson contributed to this report.