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.
The federal court granted a temporary restraining order on February 8, 2025, blocking Elon Musk and DOGE from accessing Americans’ personal information via the Treasury Department’s central payment system and ordering the immediate destruction of all copies of records obtained. The coalition of 12 attorneys general is seeking a preliminary injunction to continue barring unauthorized access to the personal data.
In-house legal teams should review all contracts with government agencies, particularly those involving access to personal information such as Social Security numbers or bank account details. Key clauses to update include data access authorization (ensuring only permitted parties have access), data destruction requirements, breach notification for unauthorized government access, and restrictions on third-party access to personal data. Vendor contracts processing personal data for government clients should also include requirements to comply with court orders to destroy data and block unauthorized access.
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Trump administration
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OtherOfficial Press Release
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2025/attorney-general-james-and-11-attorneys-general-release-joint-statement-lawsuit
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"Trump administration"
"The Constitution gives Congress – not the President – primary control over federal spending."
"illegally granting Elon Musk and members of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) access to Americans’ private information"
"unauthorized access to the Social Security numbers, bank account information, and other private data of tens of millions of Americans"
"got into our nation’s central payment system in the Treasury Department, giving them unauthorized access to the Social Security numbers, bank account information, and other private data of tens of millions of Americans"
"February 8"
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.
New York Attorney General Letitia James obtained a temporary restraining order from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California blocking Paramount Skydance Corp.'s proposed $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. The lawsuit alleges the merger would illegally reduce competition in film and television, leading to higher prices and fewer choices for consumers.
$18.0M
New York Attorney General Letitia James and a bipartisan coalition of 42 other attorneys general secured an $18 million settlement from genetic testing company 23andMe for failing to protect customers' private genetic data. The October 2023 data breach exposed sensitive genetic information of 6.9 million consumers, including 305,245 in New York, with some data published for sale on the dark web. The settlement includes monetary penalties and new data protection requirements for the company and its successor, 23andMe Research Institute.
New York Attorney General Letitia James and 11 other attorneys general filed a lawsuit to block the proposed $110 billion merger between Paramount Skydance Corp. and Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc., alleging the merger would violate antitrust law by reducing competition in theatrical film releases and basic cable television markets, leading to higher prices for consumers and fewer diverse entertainment options.
New York Attorney General Letitia James sued 3M, DuPont, and other chemical companies for knowingly causing decades of PFAS pollution through consumer products. The lawsuit alleges the companies hid toxicity risks, failed to warn the public, and seeks cleanup funding, damages, and injunctive relief.
New York Attorney General Letitia James joined a bipartisan coalition of 48 other attorneys general in submitting comments to the FCC urging stronger rules to combat illegal robocalls. The coalition recommends expanding the definition of telephone number resellers, prohibiting resale of certain numbers, and requiring mandatory education for companies selling phone numbers. This is a regulatory advocacy action, not a direct enforcement action against a specific company.