It really isn’t possible to keep track of the lawsuits being filed against the blizzard of Trump/Musk assaults on government and the rule of law. Suits have been filed by state Attorneys General, unions representing government workers, and a wide range of non-profit organizations challenging indiscriminate and uninformed “slash and burn” tactics.
It remains to be seen whether this lawless administration will comply with court rulings–and how far the rogue and corrupt members of the Supreme Court majority will go to accommodate Trump.
In the midst of all this is a lawsuit filed by Public Citizen, representing the Alliance for Retired Americans, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) demanding “an immediate halt to the massive and patently illegal invasion of privacy being carried out by Elon Musk’s “DOGE” at the U.S. Treasury Department.”
The organization has described he basics of the lawsuit.
The Treasury Department possesses sensitive personal and financial information for millions and millions of Americans who send money to or receive money from the federal government.
Federal laws protect such information from improper disclosure and misuse — including by barring disclosure to individuals who lack a lawful and legitimate need for it.
But instead of protecting Americans’ private information as required by law, Scott Bessent — Trump’s jillionaire Treasury Secretary — allowed DOGE full access to the data.And he punished the Treasury employee who — in accordance with his job duties and the law — tried to protect that information from improper access.
The lawsuit charges that “the scale of this intrusion into individuals’ privacy is massive and unprecedented.”
The complaint cites the legal framework for access to this information–the laws established by Congress to protect the information–and the fact that DOGE has ignored that framework and those laws, including the Privacy Act of 1974 and several IRS statutes.
A similar suit has been filed by attorneys general of 19 states who asked for–and received– an emergency temporary restraining order blocking Elon Musk and DOGE team from accessing Treasury payment systems. That suit alleged that allowing DOGE to view information maintained by Treasury’s Bureau of Fiscal Services (BFS) violates the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). The lawsuit noted that the payment files in question contain “sensitive personally identifiable information,” or PII, like bank account numbers, as well as “Federal Tax Information (FTI)” protected from unlawful disclosure under Code Sec. 6103 and “Automated Clearing House (ACH) data.”
During Trump’s first term, Americans were spared the effects of several potentially disastrous measures by the overwhelming incompetence of Trump’s cabinet, which was composed of cronies who had no idea how government worked and routinely ignored the legal processes necessary to accomplish their goals. (And those inept cronies look like geniuses compared to the collection of predators, toadies, nutcases and ignoramuses of Trump II.)
During his first term, Trump largely obeyed the various adverse court rulings triggered by that ignorance. This time, there are sobering indications that our mad rulers–having neutered Congress– will also ignore the courts, eviscerating the Separation of Powers which is foundational to the nation’s legal system.
Currently, courts have issued decisions blocking DOGE from access to the sensitive, private information contained in Treasury’s files; the extent of DOGE’s compliance is, however, unclear.
I shudder to think what a group of self-important 19-to-24-year-olds might do with the bank account information of millions of American citizens, let alone the other personal financial information in those files. But even if those IT interns are more trustworthy than they appear, respect for individual privacy is an important social good.
In an era where digital footprints are ubiquitous and personal data is often treated as a commodity, the concept of privacy has never been more critical. Despite common arguments that dismiss privacy concerns with the assertion, “I have nothing to hide,” the importance of privacy extends far beyond concealing wrongdoing.
Respect for individual privacy is an essential element in keeping personal information from being misused. The more information that is available about an individual, the easier it is to exploit it via identity theft, phishing attacks, and other forms of cybercrime.
The last paragraph of that linked essay is particularly applicable to the threat posed by Trump/Musk:
Accepting the “nothing to hide” argument can lead to the normalization of surveillance, resulting in a society where constant monitoring is the norm. This shift can erode the checks and balances that prevent abuses of power. In such a society, the line between public and private blurs, and the potential for governmental or corporate overreach grows, threatening the liberties of everyone, regardless of their behavior.
No kidding….
Having seen way too many mobster movies, I feel certain that this Gangster, Inc. group of miscreants and stooges will flip the middle finger to the courts. As Andrew Jackson mentioned, let them try to enforce their rulings.
When Trump told Maine’s governor that the law resided with him, it removed all doubt that the separation of powers is meaningless to this gangster and his money minions.
Congress? Republicans are beholden to their money people who support Trump’s theft of our democracy, rule of law and benefits to the American people. Democrats keep begging for money, clutching their pearls and doing nothing much except complaining. Why don’t they go to the voters NOW to show them how they’re being screwed, lied to and set up to be today’s lackeys to the powerful. Why aren’t they recruiting and training candidates to attack Republicans everywhere?
But, tragically, it may be too late.
Mitch McConnell’s placement of “conservative” federal judges throughout the judicial system, the strongest being the Supreme Court, are there to slow down and “pause” carrying out these suits just as they did preventing Trump from ever being sentenced for his 34 convictions and preventing countless other cases against him from reaching the courts. McConnell began before Trump became the current disaster; he prepared the way for the far right coup then retired from his position as top Republican in the Senate. There appeared to be no one to stop him and both parties in the entire Congress should have seen what was coming.
It’s a little late to be asking, “What Could Go Wrong?” We watched it as it happened.
I’m certain all those little signs the demoncrats raised last night will fix everything. Their behavior was such a cute little tantrum for all the world to see. Can’t wait to see how that will work out !
Bet Nancy was sad she wasn’t behind the podium to rip up the speech 😢 and
Pocohontas was only able to clap for
Ukraine but couldn’t stand to honor any American – she must have been tired from all the sign holding
Republicans are in thrall to Orange Jesus, wildly applauding every lie. It’s clear that they have no understanding of separation of powers, or what their role in government actually is. Maybe civics education should start with the House and Senate.
As for SCOTUS, I wonder what John Roberts is thinking, now that he’s seen a unitary executive in reality. Hopefully he’s just as appalled as I am.
looking at the tech sect,cult, they made this trillion$ on our flaunted privacy. designed by wall street and such who seek more info to exploit us,at our expense. look back at the real estate mistake of 2008 and listen to the dry wind of mnuchin defending his form of tarp. this intrusion has been made by these very people who give us the finger,and buy off a whole political,party, and undermine,(hey cuban,GFY) another. media mouthpieces today and joe goebbels prize winners and the like,who foul minds and laws via lawyers,for their paychecks and endowments,and kickbacks like trump promises.now they all won the prize,our complete privacy to do as they wish,outside of government and laws. those rightwing mentors for complete wall street rule.yea, they now have the ken burns style,prize. Selenskyy made a comment,about his garb while at the WH,that suit is a costume. as i see it, the uniform of people who believe they are above you. if the congress isnt interested in tee shirts and jeans, they obviously dont have any recognition to the working class,none.its become a fight just to have a life here in America. the division is intense, and floods the real naritive of where is that info going? is it allowed to be down loaded and hauled out? is the stand down of cybersecurity a scam to allow its transfer ignored? is the hostile otherside of the world gaining access? simply falunting this knowlege could allow a mass economic fallout. and then,well wall street could say,again,we dont know where(aka2008) the money went. hey dimon, got a dime? still no one fingers wall street,after all, its this info that fuels their hand in your pocket.
Conservatism, like libralism, used to be an honored political tradition here and it was in the tension between the two that progress came and has been maintained.
What has destroyed progress is the collapse of that tension largely due to the efforts of an iterant preacher-man evangelist showman apreading the gospel of me; I am and you are not.
The words of the rest of my though were written for me.
Friend, either you’re closing your eyes
To a situation you do not wish to acknowledge Or you are not aware of the caliber of disaster indicated
By the presence of a pool table in your community
Well, ya got trouble, my friend, right here I say, trouble right here in River City
Why, sure, I’m a billiard player
Certainly mighty proud I say I’m always mighty proud to say it
I consider that the hours I spend With a cue in my hand are golden
Help you cultivate horse sense
And a cool head and a keen eye
Trump is remaking the country into a model of his isolated, needy, paranoid inner world.
One does not make a country great by isolating it and giving the finger to former allies/friends. But, a malignant narcissist is alone in the world that he views as both distant and threatening.
I realized growing up there is no point talking about absolute poverty witnessed among my childhood friends in 1948 Tsingtao China. There was and remains no context in the very privileged lifestyle, even among relative poverty, we take for granted in America.
The President last night spoke that the ‘woke’ have been defeated. When I heard that, the first image that crossed my mind is a fourteen year old boy in Ethiopia who witnessed first hand his baby sister die from hunger because USAID was abruptly ended. This fourteen year old helped to bury his baby sister, as our President spoke, in a discarded empty USAID sack. His baby sister buried with a broken promise.
AND as our President spoke before the glow of a partially seated Congress and global news cameras announced “the woke’ have been defeated”.
Thousands of miles away, I know … because once upon a time for fifty dollars a month plus room and board, I worked along side USAID and Peace Corps Volunteers to distribute food to orphans in The Horn of Africa. There is no corruption, waste or fraud in feeding the hungry.
There are thousands of places around the world where absolute poverty reigns beyond comprehension of minority privileged people … you and I.
AND the fourteen year olds who bury their innocent baby brothers and sisters in an empty discarded USAID food sack? Do you really believe Mr. President, these fourteen year olds feel “defeated”?
Mr. President … that fourteen year old once tilled a row struggling behind a single eucalyptus tiller to help a village harvest grain from what he sees. Now he holds a Karisnikoff assault rifle taken from a decaying corpse.
What goes round … comes round, Mr. President. Enjoy your cheese burger.
Gail, what did you want to happen at the speech?
Without additional context, I think your comment is a bit childish. Maybe you can explain further?
The personal information to which the interns have access is incredibly valuable… to certain very bad people. Now, the employees who usually have access to that information have been vetted and must follow strict procedures protecting the information and limiting their access. The chance that one of the regular employees working there could be bought or suborned exists, but is very low, and the damage they could cause is reduced by internal process. What do you suppose the probability is that one of these young, unvetted interns could be persuaded by a large pot of money to do something very bad? I expect the probability is not nearly as small as it needs to be.
What is the time frame for restoring progress before it’s collapse makes that impossible?
The political, legislative, judicial, executive, and military powers to restore progress are compromised and generally slower than the collapse is spreading. That is MTV’s (Musk, Trump, and Vance + sycophants Johnson and Roberts advised by Putin) plan. Blitzkreig.
What is the motivation behind this royal plot? To make us dependent on the royals for survival? To become West Russia and surround Europe, eventually warring with China for world domination?
Of course, we were better off before, when we embraced progress. Return and restoration are our goals because comfort and safety are the state of being nurtured by life. But is this possible now? I wish I knew. Here and now, I wish I could find anyone who knows.
Here’s an unrelated but illustrative note. A couple days ago, the USA blocked Croatia’s desire to become a member of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). How is this “America First?” At worst, the USA should have little interest perhaps, but in normal times, the USA (as Canada and the EU do) should favour a country trying to improve their future by increasing co-operation with the rest of Europe. It’s a very “western” and democratic thing to do. However, there is a power that _wouldn’t_ be in favour of this and would be pleased you guys blocked it: Putin’s Russia.
Honestly, I get more furious at you guys by the day.
I think my ultimate point needs to be said clearly. I’m not sure how many of you have recognised it thus far.
The USA has broken trust with those it has been historically aligned with, its most important friends and allies. And it’s done so in ways from which it is hard to recover from. Just as Zelenskyy was hesitant about Trump’s “ideas” because Russia has, time and again, broken its promises, you’ve broken yours.
I will never trust you again, and I think a lot of your (former?) friends around the world feel similarly. Our countries may mend fences at some point, but it won’t be the same, and I, personally, am in no rush to do so. I don’t trust you.
I was warned by my daughter not to watch last night because she was afraid I would blow an artery or something. I took her advice, but I did watch MSNBC’s coverage afterwards. It was truly stunning to see a pathlogical liar who cheated his way into office by lying about immediately bringing down the cost of groceries strut into the joint house and pretend to be anything other than the convicted felon, racist, adjudicated sexual assaulter and destroyer of democracy that he is–but he IS defective, and that’s what should be expected. So, the real puzzle is all of those Republicans who KNOW he’s a liar and what he is doing is wrong and still cheer this craven excuse for a human being. They KNOW that when he tried to shut down USAID that starving children would die–and, they did. They don’t care. They KNOW that it is a violation of federal law to allow Elon Musk–the penultimate “unelected bureaucrat” who purchased the right to bully federal employees and allow his un-vetted 20-something employees to download on their personal computers our most-sensitive personal data–like tax returns, bank routing and account numbers, and Social Security numbers. They don’t care. Once that data has been acquired, there is no control over whether it has been re-copied, will be offered for sale or otherwise available to malign actors. They KNOW that, contrary to the lie of the arrogant fat pig they allowed to take over their party, Zelenskyy is NOT a “dictator” and WAS lawfully elected and is overwhelmingly popular in Ukraine, and that Congress approved funding to help Ukraine fight off Russia–something the fat pig pulled because he is a Russian asset–and they don’t care. They KNOW that their hero told the Russian cybersecurity unit to shut down operations–to clear the way for Russian hackers to get into our electronic data–they don’t care. They KNOW that Trump removed the sanctions against Russia that put pressure on it and that Trump is trying to force the G-7 to take Russia back–just like he did in Helsinki–and they don’t care.
They actually cheered this repulsive excuse for human life. They also KNOW that most of what came out of this draft-dodging adjudicated sexual assaulter and convicted felon’s mouth was lies–they don’t care. They KNOW there is NOT widespread fraud in the Social Security system–something else the pig lied about, and that there aren’t 150 year olds receiving checks–it has been explaned that the Social Security system uses a system called “COBOL” that arbitrarily puts a number in as the date of birth until verification is produced—that is a signal that verification is pending—and that the number makes it appear that the person is 150 years old. They don’t care. I’m glad I didn’t watch. I don’t think my arteries could take it.
After Zelenskyy said he was willing to do peace and work with Trump yesterday, he changed his mind and decided the deal is off today. He’s been snorting way too much product up his nose.
I didn’t bother watching the SOTU last night because Trump was talking in front of Vance and Johnson. I knew it would be full of lies like every campaign rally he has had. Vance said the “right are the warriors for free speech,” Trump announced that all anti-Israel protests on campuses were illegal. If you’re a foreign student caught, you will be deported. If you’re a US citizen, you will be expelled from school. He also said if university presidents allowed anti-genocide protests, they would lose federal funding.
Personally, I can’t wait to hear a response from university presidents. Will they stand up for students’ constitutional rights or make protests illegal to ensure monies keep flowing?
I know others are blaming Trump for dissing our European allies, but after Zelenskyy pulled the rug on Trump twice, I’d withdraw from NATO and announce the withdrawal of our forces throughout Europe—no more assistance to Ukraine, including underwriting their government payroll every two weeks.
The only leader in Europe right now is Giorgia Meloni, who is in Italy. She told Starmer he could sacrifice his soldiers in Ukraine, but she wasn’t sending hers. Also, the EU Commission unanimously voted to rescind Viktor Orban’s voting rights. What a beacon of democracy! LOL
Todd: Zelenskyy did NOTD “pull the rug” on Trump. Last Friday’s disasterous set-up show of Trump’s malignant narcissism, with his fat-faced back-up toadie, was a show put on for Putin’s benefit. Zelenskyy tried to make the point that without security assurances, a cease-fire agreement with Putin would only allow him time to get more Korean mercenaries and to re-arm. Putin can’t be trusted. Trump actually expected Zelenskyy to agree, at the outset, to let Putin keep the Ukrainian territory he stole and to grovel to receive the aid already approved by Congress. Zelenskyy wouldn’t agree to this. And, unlike Trump, he is popular with his citizens, and he didn’t have to lie about immediately bringing down the cost of groceries to get elected.
John H, I don’t blame you. A majority of Americans (over 50%) don’t trust us either. How can we be trusted when so many Republican elected officials who, in their hearts, disagree with the Orange One, kiss his ring in public because of their craven cowardice. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating for those of us who are for democracy, but who were unable to get the message through to voters who were fooled by lies and disinformation (and Russian interference/disinformation). We have become a nation of sheep (and that’s maligning sheep).
Personally I would have been satisfied to see ALL of the Democrats walk out of the Presidental address last night. It’s not as if he was saying anything new. The Supreme Court needs to feel people’s displeasure/disgust for not bringing Trump and Elon into a Court of Law. There is protesting outside of my representatives office and I think I may join in. Since I had an appt. and couldn’t go to the recent town hall. I watched Adam Mockler’s live stream coverage last night prior to the Address and am looking forward to more from his channel.
Donald Trump must be the unhappiest person in the world.
My Russian language tutor returned to the party to correct my spelling from my post today: ‘Kalashnikov’ more popularly known as the AK-47.