A federal judge has delivered a key decision in favor of President Donald Trump’s administration, rejecting a legal effort by Democrat-controlled states to block access to crucial Treasury Department systems.

U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas ruled Tuesday that four members of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are permitted to access the Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service (BFS), which oversees trillions in federal payments, according to The Epoch Times.

The ruling marks a win for the Trump administration’s initiative to streamline federal operations and bring in experienced private-sector talent. The Treasury Department had already granted access to Thomas Krause, Linda Whitridge, Samuel Corcos, and Todd Newnam—members of the DOGE team selected to help oversee government efficiency projects. Their access follows an earlier judicial approval in April for another DOGE member, Ryan Wunderly.

Judge Vargas dismissed the politically charged lawsuit brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of Democrat attorneys general, making clear the court’s role is not to interfere with internal executive branch decisions.

“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 in her decision.

She affirmed that the DOGE members in question “have satisfied the conditions to be carved out of the definition of Restricted Personnel, [and] they shall be permitted access to Treasury Payment Systems on the same terms as Wunderly.”

Vargas further clarified that judicial approval is not required every time the Treasury onboards new individuals: “For the avoidance of doubt, however, Defendants are not required to obtain a judicial determination that a particular individual has satisfied the Training, Vetting and Mitigation Procedures before such person may be granted access to Treasury Payment Systems.”

The lawsuit, filed in February by AG Letitia James and 18 other attorneys general, sought to block access to the BFS for DOGE team members and Elon Musk—who has advised on technology and innovation in government under President Trump.

“As the richest man in the world, Elon Musk is not used to being told ‘no,’ but in our country, no one is above the law,” James claimed in a press release.

“President Trump does not have the power to give away Americans’ private information to anyone he chooses, and he cannot cut federal payments approved by Congress. Musk and DOGE have no authority to access Americans’ private information and some of our country’s most sensitive data. I am taking action to keep our information secure, and to prevent any unconstitutional freeze on essential funding that Americans rely on every day,” she added.

According to the press release, the Trump administration's Treasury Department, beginning February 2, 2025, implemented a policy allowing “special government employees,” including Musk and DOGE members, to access the BFS. The system handles vital disbursements such as Social Security, veterans’ benefits, Medicare and Medicaid payments, and critical funding to states for services like public safety, education, and infrastructure.

The AG coalition argued that this access violated federal law and posed a threat to both data security and constitutional governance. “Access to BFS is limited by federal law to a select group of career civil servants with the appropriate security clearances,” the press release insisted. It went on to claim that the Trump administration’s policy “would allow Elon Musk and other unauthorized political appointees to access a system that could permit them to freeze federal funds with the click of a button in violation of the Constitution.”

However, attorneys for the Trump administration sharply criticized the lawsuit as an attempt to undermine executive authority and impose partisan control over federal operations.

“Plaintiffs confirm in their opposition that they seek something remarkable: A court order commanding that a segment of an executive agency be cordoned off from properly named ‘political appointees,’ while giving access to select ‘civil servants,’” the administration’s legal team stated.

“The government is aware of no example of a court ever trying to micromanage an agency in this way, or sever the political supervision of the Executive Branch in such a manner,” they added.

This decision underscores the judiciary’s recognition of executive branch discretion in managing personnel and reaffirms President Trump’s authority to implement reforms aimed at improving government efficiency and accountability.