Unions sue to keep Musk’s “unqualified flunkies” out of Americans’ personal data

Federal employee unions have sued the United States Office of Personal Management, its acting director, Charles Ezell, and billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency over alleged illegally accessing the personal information of tens of millions of Americans.

In a suit filed Feb. 11, the American Federation of Government Employees, the Association of Administrative Law Judges and the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers accuse the OPM of recklessly enabling and DOGE operatives’ access to the personal records of “tens of millions of American public servants, job applicants, their family members, and other third parties.”

“The Office of Personnel Management maintains highly sensitive, personal information on anyone who has ever worked for or sought employment with the federal government,” Everett Kelley, national president of the AFGE, said in a statement.“Elon Musk and his unqualified flunkies have no business accessing this personal data, and we are calling on the courts to put a stop to this illegal and dangerous activity.”

According to the suit: “Those records include: identifying information like name, birthdate, home address and phone number, and social security number; demographic information like race/ethnicity, national origin, and disability; education and training information; employment information like work experience, union activities, salaries, performance, and demotions; personal health records and information regarding life insurance and health benefits; financial information like death-benefit designations and savings programs; classified-information nondisclosure agreements; and information concerning family members and other third parties referenced in background checks and health records.”

The suit comes as courts are increasingly stepping in and blocking some of DOGE’s access to federal systems. Last week, a federal judge blocked Musk’s DOGE underlings from accessing the Treasury Department’s payment system, citing a risk of “irreparable harm.”