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BumRushDaShow

(165,709 posts)
Thu Mar 20, 2025, 02:55 PM Mar 2025

Judge bars Musk's DOGE team from Social Security records in scathing ruling

Last edited Thu Mar 20, 2025, 04:04 PM - Edit history (3)

Source: CNBC

Published Thu, Mar 20 2025 3:51 PM EDT Updated 3 Min Ago


A federal judge Thursday issued a temporary restraining order barring Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency team from getting access to personally identifiable information from the Social Security Administration. Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander in a scathing ruling accused DOGE of launching a “fishing expedition” at the Social Security agency and failing to provide any reason why it needed to access vast swaths of Americans’ personal and private data.

The order in U.S. District Court in Baltimore blocks the Social Security Administration, acting commissioner Leland Dudek and chief information officer Michael Russo, as well as all related agents and employees working with them, from granting access to any system containing personally identifiable information.

Per the lawsuit, personally identifiable information is defined as information that can be used to identify an individual, either on its own or when combined with other information. That includes Social Security numbers, medical records, mental health records, medical provider information, medical and mental health treatment records, employer and employee payment records, employee earnings, addresses, bank records and tax information. The judge also ordered the DOGE team members and affiliates to delete all non-anonymized personally identifiable information in their possession or control that they have accessed “directly or indirectly” since Jan. 20.

Hollander, noting the affiliates of DOGE have kept their identities hidden, wrote, “ironically, the identity of these DOGE affiliates has been concealed because defendants are concerned that the disclosure of even their names would expose them to harassment and thus invade their privacy.” “The defense does not appear to share a privacy concern for the millions of Americans whose SSA records were made available to the DOGE affiliates, without their consent,” the judge wrote.

Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/20/judge-bars-musks-doge-team-from-social-security-records.html



Link to RULING (PDF) - https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mdd.577321/gov.uscourts.mdd.577321.49.0.pdf

Article FINALLY updated.

Previous article -

Published Thu, Mar 20 2025 3:51 PM EDT Updated 2 Min Ago


A federal judge Thursday issued a temporary restraining order barring Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency team from getting access to personally identifiable information from the Social Security Administration. Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander in a scathing ruling accused DOGE of launching a "fishing expedition" at the Social Security agency and failing to provide any reason why it needed to access vast swaths of Americans' personal and private data.

The order in U.S. District Court in Baltimore blocks the Social Security Administration, acting commissioner Leland Dudek and chief information officer Michael Russo, as well as all related agents and employees working with them, from granting access to any system containing personally identifiable information.

Per the lawsuit, personally identifiable information is defined as information that can be used to identify an individual, either on its own or when combined with other information.

Hollander, noting the affiliates of DOGE have kept their identities hidden, wrote, "ironically, the identity of these DOGE affiliates has been concealed because defendants are concerned that the disclosure of even their names would expose them to harassment and thus invade their privacy."



Original article -

Published Thu, Mar 20 2025 3:51 PM EDT


A federal judge Thursday issued a temporary restraining order barring Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency team from getting access to personally identifiable information from the Social Security Administration.

This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates.



46 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Judge bars Musk's DOGE team from Social Security records in scathing ruling (Original Post) BumRushDaShow Mar 2025 OP
Take that, you anti-American republicon, you BoRaGard Mar 2025 #1
DOGE gets privacy but not citizens.. yeah, not hypocrites at all NotHardly Mar 2025 #15
Silly Rabbit Poor People Aren't Citzens North Coast Lawyer Mar 2025 #17
But the horse has left the barn, sadly. SunSeeker Mar 2025 #2
Unchop that tree! purrmaid Mar 2025 #7
yep. Can't undo it. bamagal62 Mar 2025 #11
Where's the scathing part? chowder66 Mar 2025 #3
Among other things, DOGE asked for a huge bond and the judge set the bond at $750 LetMyPeopleVote Mar 2025 #8
The ruling , 137 pages , must scathe somewhere dweller Mar 2025 #9
I went to the article link and it didn't have much of anything but said it was scathing. chowder66 Mar 2025 #16
I read through some of the court docket crimycarny Mar 2025 #12
Nothing has scathed, let alone mildly interrupted, these Nazi knuckleheads since the rampage began. Magoo48 Mar 2025 #24
And where's the part about enforcement of the order? Bluetus Mar 2025 #35
Cool, another ruling to ignore JBTaurus83 Mar 2025 #4
When they know you don't mean it, it's just embarrassing. Magoo48 Mar 2025 #25
It Is A Good Point Baron2024 Mar 2025 #29
PDF Of Full MEMORANDUM OPINION MayReasonRule Mar 2025 #5
Here is a link to the ruling LetMyPeopleVote Mar 2025 #6
And will the police give a shit? progressoid Mar 2025 #10
And when they completely ignore the ruling..... diverdownjt Mar 2025 #39
The list of laws DOGE broke is quite impressive. Martin68 Mar 2025 #13
More judicial "consequences" JoseBalow Mar 2025 #14
More? Have there been any yet? Magoo48 Mar 2025 #26
Since when DENVERPOPS Mar 2025 #18
Toothpaste isn't going back in the tube Ruby the Liberal Mar 2025 #19
To quite a certain South American dictator... orangecrush Mar 2025 #20
Make it PERMANENT!!! calimary Mar 2025 #21
T.R.O. (Temporary Restraining Order) is to allow respondent time to prepare for full arguments at a later date. 3Hotdogs Mar 2025 #22
I thank Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander for her bravery; However-they will steal.... Bread and Circuses Mar 2025 #23
Bravo, Judge Hollander! Bayard Mar 2025 #27
All the courts are trending in a very encouraging way. Nixie Mar 2025 #28
Civil Lawsuits Baron2024 Mar 2025 #30
Here Is The Raskin Video Baron2024 Mar 2025 #32
And, he wonders why his Damn Teslas Cha Mar 2025 #31
I'm willing to bet he has all that information already. Autumn Mar 2025 #33
Temporary restraining order? Don't make me laugh! Aussie105 Mar 2025 #34
Good news Meowmee Mar 2025 #36
Can we please send Elon and his goons on a one way trip to Mars already? Initech Mar 2025 #37
Meaningless lonely bird Mar 2025 #38
Bullshit. AmericaUnderSiege Mar 2025 #40
"A "scathing" ruling would have been an immediate order for the US Marshals to escort these random political lobbyists" BumRushDaShow Mar 2025 #41
Marshals enforce court orders, not executive orders. AmericaUnderSiege Mar 2025 #42
They are still under DOJ BumRushDaShow Mar 2025 #43
If a judge issues an order and an illegitimate executive countermands it AmericaUnderSiege Mar 2025 #44
We all know what they are *supposed to do* BumRushDaShow Mar 2025 #45
Exactly. AmericaUnderSiege Mar 2025 #46

North Coast Lawyer

(223 posts)
17. Silly Rabbit Poor People Aren't Citzens
Thu Mar 20, 2025, 03:45 PM
Mar 2025

Only wealthy white men are citizens. All laws to the contrary are fake and/or illegal don't you know.

SunSeeker

(57,528 posts)
2. But the horse has left the barn, sadly.
Thu Mar 20, 2025, 03:01 PM
Mar 2025

Musk has had plenty of time to hoover up everyone's data.

LetMyPeopleVote

(174,948 posts)
8. Among other things, DOGE asked for a huge bond and the judge set the bond at $750
Thu Mar 20, 2025, 03:13 PM
Mar 2025

For a judicial ruling there is some fun stuff

chowder66

(11,845 posts)
16. I went to the article link and it didn't have much of anything but said it was scathing.
Thu Mar 20, 2025, 03:44 PM
Mar 2025

There is more there now.

Thanks.

crimycarny

(1,987 posts)
12. I read through some of the court docket
Thu Mar 20, 2025, 03:27 PM
Mar 2025
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mdd.577321/gov.uscourts.mdd.577321.49.0.pdf

It is frightening reading through what DOGE is trying to do and just how clueless they are, Here is an example (the bolding is my emphasis):

The information DOGE sought seemed to fall into three categories: (1) untrue
allegations regarding benefit payments to deceased people of advanced age; (2)
concern regarding single Social Security numbers receiving multiple benefits
(which is normal when multiple family members receive benefits through one
wage-earner)
; and (3) payments made to people without a Social Security number.
In Flick’s view, these concerns were “invalid and based on an inaccurate understanding of
SSA’s data and programs.” Id. ¶ 19.

She explains, id.:
As to the first [category], SSA’s benefits’ file contradicts any claim that payments
are made to deceased people as old as 150 years. As to the second issue, DOGE
seemed to misunderstand the fact that benefits payments to spouses and dependents
will be based on the Social Security number of a single worker
. As to the third
[category], we were simply never given enough information to understand the
source of the concern but had never encountered anything to suggest that
inappropriate benefit payments were being made to people without a Social
Security number.

Imagine if the DOGE morons decided to cut benefits to someone who was getting their spouse's SS after their spouse passed because DOGE doesn't have the even the most basic understanding of how SS works.

They also tried to force through giving full access to SSA information to a DOGE contractor despite him not passing a background check.

Magoo48

(6,688 posts)
24. Nothing has scathed, let alone mildly interrupted, these Nazi knuckleheads since the rampage began.
Thu Mar 20, 2025, 05:58 PM
Mar 2025

Bluetus

(2,287 posts)
35. And where's the part about enforcement of the order?
Thu Mar 20, 2025, 09:11 PM
Mar 2025

Robert' SCOTUS knows what a mess they have created, but now Roberts faces what, to him, is an even greater problem. Trump has already shown that he fully intends to disregard any ruling he doesn't like. There still could be a possibility that if SCOTUS affirmed the lower court, Trump would back off.

But there is, IMHO, a much greater probability that Trump would ignore the SCOTUS, just as he ignores the other courts. I mean, why would he change at this point?

So Roberts has to assume that if they EVER issue ANY ruling Trump doesn't like, it will be met with "The Supreme Court just made a bad ruling. I hereby declare it null and void." Lacking any enforcement power, that would be the end of the SCOTUS forever.

Roberts really has no choice. He cannot allow the SCOTUS to take any case where the SCOTUS would rule against Trump.

We have been in a "Constitutional crisis" at least since 2000. I wonder if any of these weenies that keep saying "Golly, we could maybe possibly some day soon be looking at something that feels a little like a Constitutional crisis" are starting to get it -- 25 YEARS TOO LATE.

Magoo48

(6,688 posts)
25. When they know you don't mean it, it's just embarrassing.
Thu Mar 20, 2025, 06:12 PM
Mar 2025

Every time we don’t back up what we say with effective action, we become weaker and more impotent. At this point, the cautions, the pronouncements, the judgments, and the hollow threats are simply further embarrassments and more proof that our democracy is fading. In my opinion, we need progressive leaders, both past and present, leaders with gravitas and enthusiasm, to usher us into the streets by the millions. Progressive States should be creating mutual aid alliances.

 

Baron2024

(1,492 posts)
29. It Is A Good Point
Thu Mar 20, 2025, 08:02 PM
Mar 2025

We need good leaders to usher us into the streets by the millions. You are exactly right.

MayReasonRule

(4,011 posts)
5. PDF Of Full MEMORANDUM OPINION
Thu Mar 20, 2025, 03:07 PM
Mar 2025
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mdd.577321/gov.uscourts.mdd.577321.49.0.pdf

The American public may well applaud and support the Trump Administration’s mission
to root out fraud, waste, and bloat from federal agencies, including SSA, to the extent it exists.
But, by what means and methods?

The DOGE Team is essentially engaged in a fishing expedition at SSA, in search of a fraud
epidemic, based on little more than suspicion. It has launched a search for the proverbial needle
in the haystack, without any concrete knowledge that the needle is actually in the haystack.
To facilitate the expedition, SSA provided members of the SSA DOGE Team with
unbridled access to the personal and private data of millions of Americans, including but not
limited to Social Security numbers, medical records, mental health records, hospitalization records,
drivers’ license numbers, bank and credit card information, tax information, income history, work
history, birth and marriage certificates, and home and work addresses.

Yet, defendants, with so called experts on the DOGE Team, never identified or articulated
even a single reason for which the DOGE Team needs unlimited access to SSA’s entire record
systems, thereby exposing personal, confidential, sensitive, and private information that millions
of Americans entrusted to their government. Indeed, the government has not even attempted to
explain why a more tailored, measured, titrated approach is not suitable to the task. Instead, the
government simply repeats its incantation of a need to modernize the system and uncover fraud.

Its method of doing so is tantamount to hitting a fly with a sledgehammer.

In my view, plaintiffs are likely to succeed on their claim that such action is arbitrary and
capricious, and in violation of the Privacy Act and the APA. Plaintiffs have also demonstrated
that their members will suffer irreparable harm in the absence of a TRO, the equities tip in their
favor, and the TRO serves the public interest.

For the foregoing reasons, plaintiffs’ Motion (ECF 21) is granted. A Temporary
Restraining Order shall issue.










diverdownjt

(736 posts)
39. And when they completely ignore the ruling.....
Fri Mar 21, 2025, 07:46 AM
Mar 2025

THEN WHAT? Call the U.S. Marshalls....they are with them. Call the FBI...crazy eyes runs that one...So again I say THEN WHAT?

I share your scepticism progressoid.

DENVERPOPS

(13,003 posts)
18. Since when
Thu Mar 20, 2025, 03:45 PM
Mar 2025

Has Trump or any of his CABAL followed ANY JUDGES ORDERS THE PAST TEN YEARS??????????

Ruby the Liberal

(26,599 posts)
19. Toothpaste isn't going back in the tube
Thu Mar 20, 2025, 03:47 PM
Mar 2025

Nice to have it on the record, but any data the incel squad has been able to access is already compromised (and most likely copied off to an AI data center like the monster ones Musk owns in Memphis and Atlanta )

calimary

(89,034 posts)
21. Make it PERMANENT!!!
Thu Mar 20, 2025, 03:57 PM
Mar 2025

No temporary restraining order. A PERMANENT one.

I don’t have anything incriminating in my records but I STILL don’t want that bastard’s goons looking into MY paperwork, DAMMIT!!!

3Hotdogs

(15,032 posts)
22. T.R.O. (Temporary Restraining Order) is to allow respondent time to prepare for full arguments at a later date.
Thu Mar 20, 2025, 04:36 PM
Mar 2025

Bread and Circuses

(1,552 posts)
23. I thank Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander for her bravery; However-they will steal....
Thu Mar 20, 2025, 04:54 PM
Mar 2025

DOGE’s Hitler Youth Hackers will steal whatever they want and continue to load back door code to alter, copy or destroy the federal databases. I suspect that experienced software programmers are providing the code and that Russian spies have copies of all federal databases.

Republicans lie, cheat, steal all day long. That’s all they do , DOGE is a scam and will be the scapegoat after they have what they want. And, they’ll be stealing money and diverting payments to Musk, et al. #47 will get his cut of the money too.

Bayard

(28,558 posts)
27. Bravo, Judge Hollander!
Thu Mar 20, 2025, 06:18 PM
Mar 2025


We know the little varmints want as much info as possible so they can finish destroying SS.

This makes me feel a little better. At least, for awhile.

Nixie

(17,937 posts)
28. All the courts are trending in a very encouraging way.
Thu Mar 20, 2025, 07:58 PM
Mar 2025

I like how these results at least make parts of our government recognizable amid this coup.

 

Baron2024

(1,492 posts)
30. Civil Lawsuits
Thu Mar 20, 2025, 08:10 PM
Mar 2025

If we can not hold Musk and DOGE criminally responsible right now, as Trump controls the DOJ, we can at least consider a class action civil lawsuit against Musk and his DOGE minions for violating computer privacy laws. Jamie Raskin, constitution expert in the House, has previously explained how this is possible. I think that I posted a video where he described this. I will look for the video and will try to repost it. Anyway, the gist is we might be able to sue Elon Musk for violating computer privacy laws. Imagine if we could cut into his vast fortune via a class action judgment! That would be a great victory and would hit Musk where he lives. In the bank account. Same sort of thing happened to right wing madman Alex Jones over his Sandy Hook lies. Take their money! And maybe one day if Dems regain power we could charge them criminally.

 

Baron2024

(1,492 posts)
32. Here Is The Raskin Video
Thu Mar 20, 2025, 08:18 PM
Mar 2025

Here is the Raskin video where he explains how we might be able to sue Elon Musk.

Aussie105

(7,639 posts)
34. Temporary restraining order? Don't make me laugh!
Thu Mar 20, 2025, 08:48 PM
Mar 2025

Temporary restraining orders only work if the person they are aimed at actually comply.
And Musk isn't likely to take any notice.

Temporary restraining order? Who is going to monitor, who is going to react if Musk's tribe of data pirates break this order?

Meowmee

(9,212 posts)
36. Good news
Thu Mar 20, 2025, 10:54 PM
Mar 2025

Last edited Fri Mar 21, 2025, 06:51 AM - Edit history (1)

How does he plan to enforce this and stop doge etc. ? I think I posted this reply on another one, but I guess it applies to that too about attacking the Peace foundation with guns, etc. If they’re not going to arrest anybody doing that it’s useless. In this case doge already has the data, so how do we know that they’re going to delete it and if they actually did? They’re a bunch of crooks and liars.

In addition it doesn’t stop them from accessing any data. They should’ve been stopped from accessing any data at all since what they are doing is illegal and they have no clearance to do this.

 

AmericaUnderSiege

(777 posts)
40. Bullshit.
Fri Mar 21, 2025, 08:37 AM
Mar 2025

A "scathing" ruling would have been an immediate order for the US Marshals to escort these random political lobbyists off the premises of US federal institutions, and arrest them if they attempted in any way to access to confidential data. Instead the opposite often happened, showing the collapsed state of the judicial system. Contrary findings are quite tame and play along as much as possible.

BumRushDaShow

(165,709 posts)
41. "A "scathing" ruling would have been an immediate order for the US Marshals to escort these random political lobbyists"
Fri Mar 21, 2025, 09:05 AM
Mar 2025

You do realize that the U.S. Marshals service is under Pam Bondi's DOJ, right?

 

AmericaUnderSiege

(777 posts)
42. Marshals enforce court orders, not executive orders.
Fri Mar 21, 2025, 08:28 PM
Mar 2025

If they want to fire Marshals for enforcing court orders, they can try. But so far they haven't even been asked to try, because courts won't do anything to enforce their orders on the occupier regime.

BumRushDaShow

(165,709 posts)
43. They are still under DOJ
Fri Mar 21, 2025, 08:31 PM
Mar 2025

run by a criminal. And yes, they have "fired" people who have not complied with "their orders". It's called "insubordination" in the government world (and I am a retired fed and know this).

 

AmericaUnderSiege

(777 posts)
44. If a judge issues an order and an illegitimate executive countermands it
Fri Mar 21, 2025, 09:00 PM
Mar 2025

then law enforcement has a choice about how to respond. It's crucial for the public to know what that choice would be, but the courts have so far refused to put federal law enforcement in the position of making a decision. This zero-faith attitude is as good as surrender to the occupier regime.

Ipso facto, we have no active federal system of law right now. The US Constitution is in a state of suspension, and we are effectively under martial law and foreign occupation.

BumRushDaShow

(165,709 posts)
45. We all know what they are *supposed to do*
Fri Mar 21, 2025, 09:07 PM
Mar 2025

But they have installed people into the government who had NEVER worked for the government (let alone having the first President in history who had never been a civil servant, in any governmental elected office, or served as a government appointee or in the military), who loathes "government".

I swore an oath to uphold the Constitution. I signed the form SF-61 my first day at work 40 years ago -



These people had never done that before and it wouldn't surprise me if the DOGE parasites didn't even bother with such when they were brought in.

They only have loyalty to one person.

 

AmericaUnderSiege

(777 posts)
46. Exactly.
Fri Mar 21, 2025, 09:17 PM
Mar 2025

It doesn't take reading the Constitution very long to find where these people have no authority under it. So it's pretty bizarre how real constitutional authorities keep trying to avoid legal confrontation with them, and in the process weakening themselves further.

If they perjure themselves, charge them. If they ignore court orders, find them in contempt. Bribed higher court decisions holding these criminals "immune to law" are legally and incompatible with the basic fabric of constitutionalism.

Everybody just needs to do their goddamn jobs now. Like they should have been doing the whole time.

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