Elon Musk has accused a federal judge of protecting fraud after his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was barred from investigating government spending at the Treasury Department. The ruling, issued Saturday, has sparked a legal and political battle over transparency in taxpayer-funded programs.
The emergency order was issued by U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer, who was appointed by Barack Obama. His decision came after 19 Democrat attorneys general filed a lawsuit claiming DOGE had been granted unauthorized access to federal financial records. The ruling not only blocked DOGE’s access but also required the destruction of all Treasury data obtained since President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Musk did not hold back in his response. “A corrupt judge protecting corruption. He needs to be impeached NOW!” he wrote on X. He also slammed the ruling as “absolutely insane,” arguing that stopping fraud is impossible without oversight of where government money is being spent.
The dispute comes amid revelations that $100 billion in government payments were sent out annually without proper documentation, with Treasury officials estimating that at least half—$50 billion per year—was fraudulent. Musk has been working with DOGE to investigate how these payments were being processed without Social Security Numbers or valid identification.
Republicans have backed Musk’s demand for accountability. Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) compared the ruling to a “judicial coup,” while Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) announced plans to introduce legislation that would give DOGE permanent access to Treasury records.
With a hearing scheduled for February 20, the fight over DOGE’s authority is far from over. Musk and his team will argue for their right to continue investigating what they see as the largest fraud scandal in U.S. history.
