New York Attorney General Letitia James led a multistate lawsuit against Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for gaining unauthorized access to the U.S. Treasury's payment system, which contains Americans' sensitive personal data and controls vital funding. A federal judge granted a temporary restraining order blocking DOGE from accessing this data and requiring the destruction of any records already obtained, with a preliminary injunction hearing set for February 14, 2025.
DOGE is blocked from accessing Americans' most sensitive personal information and must immediately destroy any and all copies of records they have already obtained.
In-house legal teams should review vendor agreements with government entities, customer data processing agreements, and any contracts involving sensitive personal data. Focus on clauses governing data access by third parties (especially government entities), data security requirements, data retention and destruction obligations, and compliance with federal regulations. Consider amending contracts to include stricter controls on government access, such as requiring warrants or court orders, implementing data minimization practices, and ensuring prompt destruction of improperly accessed data.
Entity
Elon Musk and DOGE
Also known as: DOGE
Industry
OtherOfficial Press Release
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2025/attorney-general-james-releases-statement-swift-victory-lawsuit-stopping-doges-0
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New York Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://ag.ny.gov/press-releases
New York Attorney General Letitia James led a multistate coalition to sue the Trump administration for allowing Elon Musk and DOGE unauthorized access to the Treasury Department's central payment system, exposing Americans' sensitive personal information. A federal court granted a preliminary injunction blocking this access and ordering the destruction of any obtained records.
$2.6M
New York and Connecticut reached a settlement with Boston Children’s Health Physicians and its IT security provider, XTIUM, after a 2024 breach exposed private information of approximately 825,000 New York residents and 62,871 Connecticut residents. The companies will pay $2.64 million and implement enhanced cybersecurity measures; additional penalties are conditional on violating the settlement.
New York Attorney General Letitia James joined 16 other attorneys general in urging Congress to pass proposed legislation addressing the federal government’s release of Jeffrey Epstein-related records. The press release says DOJ has not fully disclosed the records required by the original law and that personal information of at least 43 victims was exposed in released files; this is a legislative advocacy announcement, not an enforcement action imposing a penalty or remedy.
$1.9M
New York Attorney General Letitia James secured a settlement after an investigation found Dollar General stores routinely charged customers more than advertised or posted prices and issued confusing receipts. Dollar General must donate $1.875 million in food and personal items to Foodlink and implement pricing, receipt, training, and audit reforms.
New York Attorney General Letitia James released an updated guide warning voters that AI-generated election content and chatbots may provide misleading information. This is public guidance, not an enforcement action, and the release describes no penalty or privacy violation.
New York Attorney General Letitia James and a bipartisan coalition of 39 other attorneys general filed a motion in Character Technologies, Inc.’s bankruptcy, citing risks to children and sensitive user information and potential violations of state privacy laws. The coalition asks the court, the company, and any prospective buyer to require meaningful privacy and safety protections; no fine or final remedy is reported.