BURSTA federal judge on Tuesday allowed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team embedded at the Treasury Department to access the sensitive system used to dole out trillions of dollars in government payments.
In response to a lawsuit filed by Democratic-led states, U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas had blocked the access in February.
She agreed to modify the ruling after the administration indicated the team went through vetting, training and security clearance procedures like other Treasury employees. The states did not oppose the modification.
Vargas’s new order extends access to four DOGE team members: Thomas Krause, Linda Whitridge, Samuel Corcos and Todd Newnam. Last month, the judge allowed another member of the team, Ryan Wunderly, to access the system.
They all can now access the payment system at the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, which handles nearly 90 percent of federal payments.
The judge also permitted the Treasury Department to provide access to future DOGE employees if they have gone through the same procedures. Vargas is an appointee of former President Biden who serves in New York.
“There is little utility in having this Court function as Treasury’s de facto human resources officer each time a new team member is onboarded,” Vargas wrote.
DOGE’s efforts to implant itself at agencies across the federal bureaucracy has sparked a wave of litigation.
Though some cases deal with efforts to dismantle certain agencies, many of the suits seek to block DOGE personnel from gaining access to sensitive government systems. The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to lift another judge’s ruling blocking DOGE’s access to systems at the Social Security Administration.