Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of 12 attorneys general to announce they will file a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of the Treasury and DOGE for unlawfully granting Elon Musk and DOGE staff access to sensitive personal information and payment systems. The AGs argue this unauthorized access threatens privacy rights and essential payments for millions of Americans. The lawsuit seeks to revoke access and prevent further interference.
The attorneys general seek a court order to immediately revoke DOGE's access to Treasury payment systems and personal data, and to enjoin any future unauthorized access or interference with federal payments.
In-house legal teams should review all vendor, customer, and data processing agreements where the company handles federal payment data or sensitive personal information on behalf of the U.S. government. Specifically scrutinize clauses governing data access controls, third-party (including government entity) data sharing, payment system integration, audit rights, and breach notification procedures. Given the allegations of unauthorized access by DOGE staff, contracts must ensure any government data access is strictly limited to authorized personnel under documented legal authority, with robust logging, monitoring, and consent requirements. Amendments may be needed to mandate written authorization for any government data requests, implement tiered access protocols, and require immediate notification of any unauthorized access attempts involving federal systems.
Entity
U.S. Department of the Treasury
Also known as: Treasury
Industry
Other"the U.S. Department of the Treasury"
"DOGE has no authority to access this information"
New York Attorney General Letitia James led a coalition of 19 state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration and U.S. Department of the Treasury over unauthorized access to Americans’ sensitive personal data. The lawsuit alleges the Treasury Department illegally granted Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) access to its central payment system containing bank account details, Social Security numbers, and other private information, violating federal law and the U.S. Constitution. The coalition seeks an injunction to halt the policy and a declaration that the access expansion is unlawful and unconstitutional.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong filed a lawsuit against President Trump and the U.S. Treasury Department to stop DOGE's unauthorized access to the Treasury's central payment system, which contains sensitive personal information like bank details and Social Security numbers. The lawsuit seeks an injunction and a declaration that the new policy granting access to Elon Musk and DOGE members is unlawful and jeopardizes data security.
$625K
Connecticut reached a $625,000 settlement with Frontier Communications Parent Inc. over an April 2024 breach in which compromised employee and vendor credentials were used to access internal systems and exfiltrate unencrypted personal information of 58,841 Connecticut residents. The settlement requires Frontier to strengthen its security program, implement specific safeguards and training, and obtain an independent third-party assessment.
$2.6M
Connecticut and New York found that Boston Children’s Health Physicians and its security vendor, XTIUM, failed to use reasonable safeguards, resulting in hackers accessing sensitive personal, medical, and employee information. The companies agreed to pay penalties totaling $2.64 million and implement enhanced cybersecurity measures.
Connecticut joined a coalition of state attorneys general filing a notice in Character Technologies, Inc.’s bankruptcy proceedings, raising concerns about the company’s safety and privacy practices and the sensitive information it holds. The states seek protections for children and consumers if the company’s business or assets are sold or transferred; the filing does not impose a fine or other remedy.
Attorney General William Tong and Consumer Counsel Claire Coleman petitioned PURA to review how Connecticut public utilities use artificial intelligence, citing potential data privacy and cybersecurity risks, algorithmic errors, and misleading outputs. The petition asks PURA to examine utility AI systems, safeguards, vendors, and data security practices; it does not report a finding of violation or an imposed penalty.