What is doge doing with your info? Jaime Raskin Asks Us To Help Make A FOIA Tsunami [View all]

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/3/11/2309574/-Jaime-Raskin-Asks-Us-To-Help-Make-A-FOIA-Tsunami

Jaime Raskin Asks Us To Help Make A FOIA Tsunami

by Beryl Stone
Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)
Tuesday, March 11, 2025 at 5:18:43p PDT

From Raskin:

Today I filed a formal demand for access to my personal data obtained by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk. I encourage all U.S. citizens to join me in doing the same.

Elon Musk should have been more careful in what he wished for, Carol. DOGE recently dodged lawsuits about its seizure of citizens’ personal data by telling courts that it is a legitimate government agency entitled to extract this information. What Elon Musk apparently did not realize is that this statement triggers DOGE’s obligation to comply with citizen demands to see and—if need be—correct their personal information under the Privacy Act. It also allows every citizen to find out what other agencies or outside parties have been made privy to our information.

Last night, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued an injunction commanding DOGE to comply with citizen requests under the Freedom of Information Act. FOIA encompasses the Federal Privacy Act of 1974, which entitles any citizen to access personal information held in any U.S. government records system.

By visiting the link on my website HERE, you can fill out the Privacy Act request form and mail it in directly to DOGE. This newly recognized federal agency, which has been systematically accessing government computer data systems, now has an obligation to respond to specific information demands from any of the 340 million U.S. citizens who exercise their legal right to defend their privacy and establish the security of their personal information.

I can’t wait to see what DOGE has been doing with all of our data, and I can’t wait to see what the courts will do if DOGE refuses to comply with the District Court’s injunction.

In a democracy, as opposed to a dictatorship, assuming the powers of government carries real burdens and obligations for our officials as well as the benefits and riches the billionaires routinely seek out.

I hope you will join me in this unfolding monumental struggle for transparency and the rights of the people. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to fill out the form HERE.

With gratitude and solidarity, and nothing but great high hopes for America,

Jamie Raskin

https://jamieraskin.com/doge-privacy-act-requests/

(I added paragraph breaks for easier reading.)