New York Attorney General Letitia James led a multistate coalition to sue the Trump administration for allowing Elon Musk and DOGE unauthorized access to the Treasury Department's central payment system, exposing Americans' sensitive personal information. A federal court granted a preliminary injunction blocking this access and ordering the destruction of any obtained records.
The court ordered that DOGE and Elon Musk must cease accessing the Treasury's central payment system and destroy all copies of records already obtained.
In-house legal teams should review vendor, customer, data processing, and government contractor agreements for clauses governing data access, security, and government requests. Specifically examine: (1) data access and security provisions to ensure they restrict unauthorized government access and require robust safeguards for sensitive financial information (e.g., social security numbers, bank details); (2) government access or audit rights clauses to verify they limit access to lawful, specific requests and mandate prior notification; (3) data retention and destruction obligations to confirm they require prompt, secure disposal of records upon legal or contractual termination; (4) breach notification and indemnification terms to assess liability for unauthorized data exposure; and (5) compliance with laws and injunctive relief clauses to ensure contracts address adherence to court orders. Potential changes include adding explicit prohibitions on unauthorized government access, requiring immediate disclosure of government data demands, strengthening data destruction protocols, and incorporating specific security standards for federal payment system data.
Entity
Elon Musk and DOGE
Also known as: DOGE
Industry
OtherOfficial Press Release
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2025/attorney-general-james-stops-elon-musk-and-doge-accessing-americans-private
state of new york et al v donald trump opinion and order 202
https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/court-filings/state-of-new-york-et-al-v-donald-trump-opinion-and-order-2025_0.pdf
attorney general james releases statement swift victory laws
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2025/attorney-general-james-releases-statement-swift-victory-lawsuit-stopping-doges-0
attorney general james leads multistate coalition suing stop
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2025/attorney-general-james-leads-multistate-coalition-suing-stop-elon-musk-and-doges
New York Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://ag.ny.gov/press-releases
New York Attorney General Letitia James led a multistate lawsuit against Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for gaining unauthorized access to the U.S. Treasury's payment system, which contains Americans' sensitive personal data and controls vital funding. A federal judge granted a temporary restraining order blocking DOGE from accessing this data and requiring the destruction of any records already obtained, with a preliminary injunction hearing set for February 14, 2025.
New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a consumer alert on May 18, 2026, warning businesses against engaging in price gouging on transportation services during the Long Island Rail Road strike. The alert reminds businesses that New York’s price gouging laws prohibit unconscionable price increases on essential goods and services during market disruptions, with potential penalties of up to $25,000 per violation. No specific enforcement action against a particular entity was announced, only a general warning for businesses and a call for consumers to report suspected price gouging.
New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a consumer alert on May 18, 2026, warning residents of potential price gouging by transportation service providers during the Long Island Rail Road strike. The alert reminds businesses that New York’s price gouging laws prohibit unconscionable price increases on essential services like transportation during market disruptions. No specific privacy violations or enforcement actions against individual entities were announced in the alert.
This press release announces New York Attorney General Letitia James leading a coalition of 21 state attorneys general, the District of Columbia, and Pennsylvania’s Governor in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court to stay a Fifth Circuit ruling that would reinstate in-person dispensing requirements for mifepristone, a medication used for abortion. The coalition argues the ruling is scientifically unsupported, would restrict telehealth access to reproductive care, and undermines state sovereignty over abortion policy post-Dobbs. This is not a privacy-related enforcement action, as the content addresses reproductive health policy rather than data privacy violations.
$5.0M
New York Attorney General Letitia James secured a $5 million settlement from cryptocurrency platform Uphold HQ, Inc. for promoting Cred’s fraudulent CredEarn investment product as safe and reliable, when Cred was making risky loans to uncreditworthy borrowers in China. Uphold also falsely claimed Cred had comprehensive insurance and promoted the product without registering as a broker or commodity broker-dealer under New York law. As part of the settlement, Uphold will pay $5 million to harmed investors, remit $545,189 from Cred’s bankruptcy to customers, improve due diligence policies for third-party products, and register as a broker with the OAG.
New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the conviction of tax preparer and insurance agent Miles Burton Marshall for operating a decades-long Ponzi scheme that defrauded 988 investors out of more than $50 million. Marshall pleaded guilty to Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, Securities Fraud under the Martin Act, and Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree, and faces four to 12 years in prison plus approximately $90 million in restitution to victims.