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.
New York Attorney General Letitia James joined a coalition lawsuit challenging NHTSA’s rollback of federal fuel economy standards. The coalition alleges that the final rule violates federal law and asks the court to strike it down; the press release describes no privacy violations or monetary penalty.
$400.0M
New York Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of 47 other attorneys general secured a $400 million settlement with Sandoz Inc. and Fougera Pharmaceuticals Inc. over an alleged scheme to coordinate generic drug prices and reduce competition. The settlement provides for consumer compensation and requires Sandoz to implement antitrust compliance reforms, including annual staff training and a Chief Compliance Officer.
New York Attorney General Letitia James joined eight other attorneys general in issuing a statement criticizing a DOJ judicial misconduct complaint against nearly all federal district court judges in Minnesota. The release concerns judicial independence, not a privacy enforcement action; it announces no penalty or privacy-related remedy.
$5.9M
New York Attorney General Letitia James sued Evolutions Festival LLC and 845 Vibrations LLC over the cancellation of the 2025 festival and their failure to refund ticket holders and vendors. The state alleges violations of laws governing advance ticket-sale funds and seeks restitution, civil penalties of $5,000 for each of 1,185 alleged violations, and an order requiring a $500,000 bond before the organizers can hold future cultural events in New York.
$25K
New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a consumer alert warning businesses not to charge unconscionably excessive prices for essential goods and services during the storm emergency. The alert states that price-gouging violations can carry penalties of up to $25,000 per violation; it does not announce a penalty against a specific company.