U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman in Greenbelt, Maryland, ruled that the Department of Education and the Office of Personnel Management likely violated the Privacy Act by disclosing people’s personal information to DOGE without their consent.
Boardman issued a temporary restraining order requested by attorneys for unions and groups representing current and former federal employees.
The judge, who heard arguments on the request last week, said her order doesn’t prevent President Donald Trump, a Republican, from “effectuating the administration’s policies.”
“It prevents the disclosure of the plaintiffs’ sensitive personal information to DOGE affiliates who, on the current record, do not have a need to know the information to perform their duties,” she wrote.
The judge, who heard arguments on the request last week, said her order doesn’t prevent President Donald Trump, a Republican, from “effectuating the administration’s policies.”
Meaning:
Trump can order agencies to downsize, and if they don’t he can replace senior leadership, and wash and repeat.
It’s what Biden threatened to do when he forced part time RTO.
But Elmo is circumventing the chain of command, and trying to tell employees from every agency what to do, which he can’t. Even if he was a government official in charge of a different agency.
trump being in charge of agency heads isn’t the same thing as being in charge of every federal worker. It’s an important distinction he just doesn’t understand.
Judge rules barn door to be closed after horses have all escaped.