New York Attorney General Letitia James led a coalition of 19 states in filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration for illegally granting Elon Musk and DOGE access to the Treasury's payment system, exposing Americans' sensitive personal information. The lawsuit seeks an injunction to halt this policy and a declaration that it is unlawful and unconstitutional.
The coalition is seeking an injunction to prevent expanded access to the Treasury payment system and a declaratory judgment that the policy change is unlawful and unconstitutional.
In-house legal teams should review all contracts with government entities, federal contractors, and vendors handling U.S. Treasury data or sensitive personal information. Focus on clauses governing data access rights, security clearance requirements, compliance with federal data protection laws, and restrictions on third-party disclosures. Specific clauses to scrutinize include data security protocols, audit rights, breach notification obligations, and limitations on sub-contractor access. Contracts may need amendments to explicitly prohibit unauthorized access to federal payment systems, require immediate reporting of security incidents involving Treasury data, and mandate adherence to federal access control standards. Vendors with access to government financial systems should be required to certify compliance with Treasury Department security policies and undergo regular independent audits.
Entity
Trump administration
Also known as: Trump Administration
Industry
OtherOfficial Press Release
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2025/attorney-general-james-leads-multistate-coalition-suing-stop-elon-musk-and-doges
state of new york et al v trump doge temporary restraining o
https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/court-filings/state-of-new-york-et-al-v-trump-doge-temporary-restraining-order-memo-2025.pdf
New York Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://ag.ny.gov/press-releases
New York Attorney General Letitia James led a coalition of 11 other attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration for illegally granting Elon Musk and DOGE unauthorized access to the Treasury Department’s central payment system, exposing Social Security numbers, bank account information, and other private data of tens of millions of Americans. A federal judge granted a temporary restraining order on February 8, 2025, blocking access and ordering destruction of all obtained records, with the coalition seeking a preliminary injunction to continue the bar on unauthorized access.
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.