"... saying there was a risk of 'irreparable harm.' The Trump administration’s new policy of allowing political appointees and 'special government employees' access to these systems, which contain highly sensitive information such as bank details, heightens the risk of leaks and of the systems becoming more vulnerable than before to hacking, U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer said in an emergency order.... The order came in response to a
lawsuit filed on Friday by Letitia James of New York along with 18 other Democratic state attorneys general, charging that when Mr. Trump had given Mr. Musk the run of government computer systems, he had breached protections enshrined in the Constitution and 'failed to faithfully execute the laws enacted by Congress.'... The Constitution says that a president 'shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.'"
From
"Judge Halts Access to Treasury Payment Systems by Elon Musk’s Team/The order came in response to a lawsuit filed by 19 attorneys general accusing the president of failing to faithfully execute the nation’s laws when he let DOGE comb through federal computer systems" (NYT).
Is the federal judge taking the position that in the name of enforcing the Take Care Clause, it is the role of the judiciary to oversee whatever the President does with the executive power that the Constitution vests in him?
Is there some extra-legal notion that the federal judge should seize the power to put on the brakes when a President with questionable judgment is moving too fast? (I'm hearing some lawprofs singing that tune.)
ADDED:
Here is the request for a temporary restraining order, and
here is the judge's order.
Posts
117 comments:
Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t the President have the right to grant security clearance to whomever he chooses to? In fact, aren’t all clearances granted by any office based on this delegated authority from the President?
>Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t the President have the right to grant security clearance to whomever he chooses to?<
These Democrat "Hawaiian" district judges are just throwing blocks. The answer to your question all depends on how squishy the SC's soft Repub justices might be.
Now that doge has already been in there, this is like closing the gate after the cows got out. I can see the Treasury department hiring other similar people as full time employees as data analysis, systems integrity, etc. The AI programs have already been loaded on to the network. Or Trump may just want these challenges so he can go to the USSC and have his (the Presidents) authority over the Executive cemented in.
No different than the IRS hiring outside data companies. Employees of those companies actually stole tax records or Trump and hunndreds (thousands?) of other rich Americans, leaked the info to the press, who eagerly published the details, but Musk and his merry band of autistic geniuses must be stopped immediately because of speculative harm? Sounds about right.
I am sure that Neil Gorsuch will not be swayed by his clerks that are taking money from Elon Musk.
The Elite Lawyers Working for Elon Musk’s DOGE Include Former Supreme Court Clerk ~ ProPublica
Of course Justice Gorsuch will recuse himself from any case that involves his clerks. Right?
The risk that the Democrats are running is that the supreme Court will forever confirm these powers hold to the president alone.
Poor Bich- his nightmare continues.
Literally thousands of Gov't employees have access to citizens' sensitive data, but THESE are the ones to worry us?
What about Loretta Lynch? What about Samantha Power, illegally unmasking US citizens?
What about:
Charles Littlejohn stole the tax returns of prominent billionaires and President Donald Trump between 2018 and 2020 and then leaked them to news organizations, which published a series of stories with the information. The notices are the first time those not named in the news articles realized they were part of the breach.
The tax return information for almost 100,000 individuals and businesses was included in the data Littlejohn stole, according to an email from Department of Justice attorney Jonathan Jacobson, which was released Jan. 8 as part of Littlejohn’s appeal of his sentence.
Ah, but THESE individuals are a threat Pathetic!
I suspect all the data was already mirrored and they have been working on the mirrored data since day one, because the expectation is by now various entities are deleting what they can. This is a rather useless step.
This seems outrageous and outside the Judges authority. A naked power grab more egregious than the entirely imagined risk they have concocted. Is the Administration just going to allow another Branch of Government to usurp their core duties?
@Althouse, the judge is simply wrong. He, and you, need to look up www.usds.gov to discover a very little-known and previously under-utilized. This is the vehicle through which Musk and DOGE are working, and it is perfectly Constitutional.
The next step needs to be to have the FBI under Pam Bondi and Kash Patel investigate the judge’s finances to determine how much Democrat billionaires bribed him to issue his ruling.
I think the President should have as much access to government data as China and Russia do. That said, this is politics playing out in the courts. Citing the law is rationalizing a power play, it is squabbling humans, not a majestic, blindfolded lady holding a scale.
It’s a threat to Americans private information being misused.
https://www.wired.com/story/treasury-bfs-doge-insider-threat/?utm_brand=wired&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=twitter&mbid=social_twitter&utm_medium=social
“A US Treasury Threat Intelligence Analysis Designates DOGE Staff as ‘Insider Threat’
An internal email reviewed by WIRED calls DOGE staff’s access to federal payments systems “the single greatest insider threat risk the Bureau of the Fiscal Service has ever faced.”
“There is ongoing litigation, congressional legislation, and widespread protests relating to DOGE’s access to Treasury and the Bureau of the Fiscal Service,” reads a section of the email titled “Recommendations,” reviewed by WIRED. “If DOGE members have any access to payment systems, we recommend suspending that access immediately and conducting a comprehensive review of all actions they may have taken on these systems.”
Hmmm. Didn’t publish the first time but it was essentially the same thing Howard said. Democrats have traded today’s temporary win for the forever loss they and the administrative state will get from
This is complete bullsheet. Contractors are used all the time, and particularly for tech-related services. In such cases, the contracting entity makes sure that all assigned staff have the necessary security clearances and work under the supervision of someone with the necessary authority to both overview and report on their work.
This is an obvious and desperate effort by the Democrat AGs to both obstruct this work and to delay it through their favored collaborating judges. In the long run, it won't work, but it buys them time to hide as much as possible and prepare further legal defenses.
Lastly, the wording they are using to halt this work looks clearly intended for another impeachment attempt, if not now, then later in 2026 if they manage to retake the House.
Big Mike said: "The next step needs to be to have the FBI under Pam Bondi and Kash Patel investigate the judge’s finances to determine how much Democrat billionaires bribed him to issue his ruling."
Probably no need to bribe him Mike. He's an avowed leftist, Obama-appointed, SDNY Judge. He knows what to do. That said, a book deal, or some speaking engagements wouldn't hurt.
The Trump opposition mimics a counter intelligence operation. This is what happens when gatekeepers get gatekept.
Desperation by the corrupt left to stop corruption and waste clearing.
Early Saturday? I guess that want to make sure this last more than a day.
There is utility in this. It makes the progressives think they got a win and keeps them calm for a couple of days. Fighting in the courts costs them money, and it doesn't involve burning down family businesses along Main Street. The ruling will get tossed, but all they'll remember is they got a win, and they'll feel better and be ameliorated.
So, the Doge Boys can write the algorithms, a Treasury employee can run them and then share the redacted results?
The corrupt leftist judge is just doing the corrupt left's bidding.
Only dutiful democrat and leftist employees can see stuff.
Heh.
the evil left are up in arms that anyone stop their money laundering tax payer funded waste and fraud.
Funny, but I never realized the jurisdictional boundaries of the Southern District of New York had been altered to include the District of Columbia.
We a nation micromanaged by Hawaiian judges…
So let me understand this. The deep state couldn’t stop Trump with lawfare when he was out of office but they think they can stop him now that he is back in office. Tell me another one.
They are not trying to defraud anyone.
They are trying to untangle the fraud. Most of which was heaped on and hidden from us - during the most corrupt administration in our lifetime. Crook Huck Puppet- MOB/CIA Joe.
" ...“.. ELON MUSK WILL HAVE ACCESS TO YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER!!!”
Reality: More Rich Taxpayers Learn Their Data Was Stolen in Huge IRS Leak."
(insty)
Since when is “DOGE” a government agency?
Has Musk received security clearance?
At least some guardrails seem to be working.
The fiscal context of all these judicial decisions that the press never mentions makes them even more suspect on the merits. Thanks in part to the actions of the Biden Administration after Trump's election, the US Government has exhausted borrowing under the debt limit ($36 Trillion) as of January 21, 2025. Since taking office, the federal government has been taking extraordinary actions to use cash to pay off debt coming due and other actions. Congress has not passed a budget or single appropriation bill for the FY which began on October 1, and has not raised the debt limit (presumably impart because Democrats in the Senate can block it). So these courts are forcing Trump to spend money under a continuing resolution that expires in March, even though the federal government is literally running out of money. If this doesn't sound like a political question to be resolved between the elected branches of the US government, what does? Do these district court judges imagine that they can order Trump to issue debt or print money in the face of Congressional action and inaction?
Just democrats trying desperately to DO SOMETHING!!! As their out of power constituents scream. Of course since democrats are only favorable to 35% of the country now, the rest cheer doge and Elon on.
The money leaves a trail. Follow the money.
Ms James et al wants to stop the defunding of the Democratic Party by the US taxpayers, who never knew about nor agreed to it. Faithful execution of the law includes stopping things from happening that weren’t intended by the law.
If past is prologue, Trumps team is well ahead of any lawfare that tries to stop
As recently as December China had gained remote access to every workstation at Treasury. Democrats were unbothered.
Now they're completely freaking out because the man who was elected to be in charge of the US Treasury Dept has access.
It's telling, isn't it, that Dems are more concerned about a DOGE audit than massive IRS leaks or Chinese penetration of Treasury and fed personnel records.
The hallmark of a successful racketeer is the ownership of a judge or two. Back in the days of Prohibition, Eliot Ness and other Treasury agents working against the bootleggers were often stymied, distracted, and delayed by bought-and-paid-for justiciars. It was their misfortune to be like poorly armed foot soldiers battling against an entrenched enemy enjoying all the advantages of defensive warfare.
The corrupt NYT neglects to mention that Paul Engelmayer is an Obama appointee; they never neglect an opportunity cast the aspersion of a magistrate being a "Trump appointee" whether it is apropos to the story or not. That the Democrats have been using gangster tactics shouldn't surprise anyone because gangsters they are. Don't be surprised to see A.G. Bondi handing down RICO indictments against vaunted household names in the coming months.
Peachy wrote: “ ELON MUSK WILL HAVE ACCESS TO YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER!!!”
Reality: More Rich Taxpayers Learn Their Data Was Stolen in Huge IRS Leak."
The argument is ably demonstrated by the Trump court we see today. Recognizing their social deficits, the tech barons have lined themselves up in the aerosol-scented wake of Trump. A man who is at the exact opposite end of the spectrum, a man who is all social skill and 0% technical capability.
It also helps explain why they are so keen to sidestep democracy. They truly believe that they have world-changing ideas that will benefit humanity but they know that they are chronically under-skilled in convincing people to follow them.
For people who believe themselves to be epochal geniuses it must be a constant source of profound frustration that the weak-minded and irrational masses prevent them exerting their will.
‘If only they were as clever as me they'd understand and follow my mission to [Mars/Metaverse/Mordor] but they are fools whose attention is too easily taken by petty grievances and by the next shiny thing’... cue Donald Trump.
At least the finance types are happy with just making a mint and fleecing rich fools. The tech bros want to screw us all.
Kak - you should attribute your cut and paste.
Why does rich ask the same questions in thread after thread? We’ve answered those before. It’s easily googled. It’s like he has diarrhea of the mouth. Hint: look up the USDS that Obama created and work your way forward.
"Is there some extra-legal notion that the federal judge should seize the power to put on the brakes when a President with questionable judgment is moving too fast? (I'm hearing some lawprofs singing that tune.)"
So what happens when some federal judge with questionable judgement is seizing power and moving too fast?
I decided during Trump’s first term that much of the federal judiciary had adopted an attitude to him that was not so much legal as theological. They had adopted the theological doctrine known as Donatism, which holds that the sacraments and other actions of a sinful priest have no effect (this is an oversimplification, I know). Thus the judiciary invalidated ordinary actions taken by the Trump administration that were clearly within the executive’s power, such as pausing immigration fro certain countries or revising questions on the census form, must be invalid because Trump was a bad person who must have bad motives.
“Since when is DOGE a government agency”
Since 2019 when Obama created it as USDS, i.e. US Digital Services.
The website is still up. From their charter:
“ To improve these services, USDS hires mission-driven professionals into term-limited ‘tours of civic service.’ By working alongside civil servants, they help address some of the most critical needs.”
Trump simply changed their name. They even have their own budget approved by Congress.
Clearly a violation of separation of powers; but also, is the mere RISK of irreparable harm enough to support an injunction? I thought there had to be an actual showing that irreparable harm would ensue (or maybe that it's more likely than not?).
Here's an unsourced description that alleges to be a description of what the Doge Boys are doing in the Treasury and elsewhere. I believe it to be a true description but it is so different. It's like being present at the invention of writing or watching the first Gutenberg Bible roll off the press. Things will always be different after this if this story is true because it means that Big Government can be controlled. Big Gov is not so much Big as Networked Into tracklessness but networks can be tracked by algorithms and thus controlled. The Algorithm Will Set You Free - if this, all so new, is all true
https://eko.substack.com/p/override
Peachy should provide a link to substantiate her mews….
Here is the executive order acknowledging the name change and other details. Note also that Obama established USDS by executive order so Trump can do pretty much anything to it also by executive order.
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IN/IN12493
OT:
You gotta watch this when you have a few minutes. It's a reminder of how horrific and "are you kidding us?" Kamala is.
The actual CBS interview - that was sliced and diced for consumption.
That the mob-CIA leftist cabal made her the candidate, is very troubling. (Except to those who are willingly indoctrinated, loyal, and propagandized)
Kak - the jig is up. The corruption on your corrupt team - is being exposed. No amount of bullshit leftist judge will stop it.
Remember when they leaked Trump’s tax returns and these same people celebrated? Pepperidge Farm remembers.
Democrats lean in to fleecing of demos-cracy in darkness.
Musk and Trump should just ignore the Order like Biden did re: student loan payoffs.
Further to my last post. You can tell that the USDS (now DOGE) is an Obama relic by looking at all of the “diversity” on the picture at the top of their landing page.
Remember when Kaki was given all kinds of links rebutting his claims about Tesla sales in Germany and he responded “I stand by my figures,” and left it at that?
James, great analogy with donatism.
I read someplace that a federal judge can usually get away with doing whatever he/she wants. How in the world did a federal judge get away with forcing the KC, MO school district to spend millions? It happened.
USAID was unaccountable and had refused many requests by Congress for information. The function is now under the authority of a cabinet official who is accountable to Congress and confirmed by the Senate.
USAID funded the organization that sparked the Vindman impeachment and USAID , that is Samantha Power, a partisan and a Biden enforcer, had control over personnel hiring there. It’s function was supposed to be related to organized crime.
"It's telling, isn't it, that Dems are more concerned about a DOGE audit than massive IRS leaks or Chinese penetration of Treasury and fed personnel records."
The Democrats hired Pakistani spies as their IT and Wasserman-Schultz kept one employed during the investigation.
DOGE is nothing compared to that.
It is to laugh. Security my Lily white ass.
The biggest data breach I was personally involved in, was the CARELESS delivery of a half million military personnel records, names, SSN, service number, to an unsecured , uncleared company.
The perpetrator? The US Navy.
Crooked Democrat judges are likely to force a constitutional crisis that will do irreparable damage to the judiciary. FAFO! Here’s my comment to the NYT: “So a team appointed by the President of the United States reviewing government expenditures in full view poses a danger to the republic, but nameless, faceless bureaucrats doling out trillions unaudited does not? It must depend on the meaning of “republic” in New York, the land the law forgot.”
I can’t believe how the f-ing Democrats are polluting the legal system!
Why not simply appoint Musk or one of his subordinates in some sort of treasury position and get it approved in the senate? Because it is operation dumb and dumber.
The pretense or perhaps even high level motivation is fine - a lot of government procurement rules are ridiculous and there must be wastage. But the intention here is not to be intentional and surgical. It is to make a show. It is political theatre rather than actually trying to reduce spending and address clientelism in a meaningful way.
What we can conclude from this thread: Trump’s
supporters do not care if he acts illegally and unconstitutionally as long as he does what they want.
Sorry Kaki, just because you say something is illegal doesn’t make it so.
Treasury employees are only acting legally and constitutionally when they leak Trump’s tax data, I keep forgetting.
And, her I was, all the while thinking Secretia James was just a little corrupt. That judge is for rent too.
Too many secrets.
No doubt people in the comments are writing longwinded memos about "This isn't reasonable". Yeah well, so what? The left doesnt care. And Leftwing judges dont care. They are going to use their power to stop Trump and keep him from doing anything they dont want.
What are you going to do about Conservatives and Trumpers? I'll give you the answer: Nothing - except complain. Lawfare is what the Left has been doing for 40 years - and Right does nothing.
"Why not simply appoint Musk or one of his subordinates in some sort of treasury position"
Because there are people working in Treasury on the exact same systems who are not confirmed by the Senate, you dumb fuck. Or do you really believe everyone that works in Treasury is Senate confirmed, Bich?
The Power of Judges to dominate and change society in unchecked. Its not in the Constiution. Congress decides what district and appeals courts can do and how many there are. The only Judges discussed in the Constitution is the SCOTUS.
For some reason the Right never wants to address Judicial power - probably because they have the stupid idea that Fed Judges are an "elite" and therefore will rule against "The Mob" which wants their $$. Or maybe its because Conservatives are stupid. One or the other.
Again, it doesn't matter that the ruling makes no sense. Are you a Judge? No, well then, your opinion doesn't matter.
From the restraining order:
"4. That all began to change with the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”). The President announced DOGE in November 2024, advertising that it would be co-led by billionaire Elon Musk and cut federal government spending.
..."
"5. As of February 2, 2025, the President and Treasury Secretary, directed Treasury to grant expanded access to BFS payment systems to political appointees and “special
government employees” for reasons that have yet to be provided..."
Letitia, please reread your paragraph 4 for the answer.
More information on Trump's use of Obama's USDS. It's only different when we do it.
I'll also personally note, that thanks to Barack Obama, the government of China has my SF85, so Democrats can stop with "they are gaining access to people's sensitive data".
From Sarah Hoyt:
Elon is coming after corruption, and much of that corruption is coming after Elon.
It's as straightforward as that.
I'd say so, yes.
There’s a legal and constitutional way for Republicans to cut spending if they want.
If they had the votes they’d be voting.
Where was all this concern when the Biden administration refused to enforce our immigration laws?
Go DOGE!!
Matt Margolis reports...
Well, we now have fresh allegations from Lindy Li, a former Democratic National Committee (DNC) insider, about who was running the White House for Joe Biden.
Li alleges that, following Biden’s disastrous debate drubbing, Hunter essentially took over White House operations. Speaking with podcaster Shawn Ryan, she painted a picture of dysfunction at the highest levels of government: “After the [CNN] debate, Hunter basically commandeered the White House. He sat in on all of the White House top-level meetings. We had a former cocaine addict sitting in on the most sensitive meetings of the most consequential and most important government in world history. Does that sit right with you?"
Ryan’s immediate reaction—“No”—reflected what many are surely thinking.
“Without security clearance mind you,” Li added.
The idea that Hunter Biden, with no security clearance, was allegedly dictating the flow of information to his father is a much bigger deal than Elon Musk going after government waste, don’t you think?
There’s a process to cut spending. Unlike Musk and DOGE — it wouldn’t be blocked in court.
The judge mentioning heightened fear of hacking is particularly sad to read. Treasury was just hacked by China - totally unrelated to Musk. And, frankly, I'd wager Musk and his team of geniuses could enhance our efforts to stop hacking by orders of magnitude over our current crop of fed IT guys.
Get this to the Supreme Court now. The executive power is vested in the President. Not some progressive federal judge whose worried his pals graft is getting exposed
You know in the Superman shows, how the bad guy would fire all the bullets in his gun, Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!,
and they'd bounce off Superman's chest? And then he'd throw the gun. This is throwing the gun.
Shhh, don't tell Kakistocracy ("Since when is “DOGE” a government agency?"), but DOGE was Obama-created. Trump just gave the creature a tweak or two,
https://www.tpr.org/government-politics/2025-02-05/what-is-the-department-of-government-efficiency-or-doge
On Feb. 6, new A.G. and personal attorney to the President, Pam Bondi, issued a series of new directives designed to eliminate protection for Americans against our Chief Kleptocrat and his featured oligarch, Elmo the Musk.
First, General Bondi announced that her office would effectively gut the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) regulations that bring transparency to the U.S.’s foreign lobbying sector. Indeed, the move risks making FARA effectively toothless against kleptocrats.
Similarly, Bondi announced that she would eliminate the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force.
Bondi also pronounced that the U.S. would effectively gut legislation aimed at stamping out foreign corruption. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), passed in the 1970s, blocked U.S. businessmen from bribing foreign officials.
Bondi effectively announced that her office would completely eliminate anything that targets kleptocrats writ large. Goodbye to the Emoluments clause.
"Sebastian said...
It's telling, isn't it, that Dems are more concerned about a DOGE audit than massive IRS leaks or Chinese penetration of Treasury and fed personnel records."
Way back when Trump was first elected everyone was wondering why DC hated Trump. And I said, "Because Trump has interrupted the free flow of graft."
Trump has interrupted the free flow of graft and it's effecting everyone in DC.
Little coprophile. The president can appoint anyone he wants. It's a privilege of the executive branch. Musk is only there to advise. As long as he isn't making policy he can make all the recommendations he wants.
Elon Musk is constantly accused of "cutting spending" or "election interference", but the reality is that all he has ever done is shine a light on what is actually going on. Elon is identifying and mapping out the web of interconnected, redundant, and often fraudulent spending by the federal government, but if spending is cut or people lose their jobs, this is entirely the responsibility of Donald Trump. The Democrats simply cannot tolerate having a light shone on what they are using our money for. Of course, many Republicans are no better.
Here’s another big Obama/Clinton fuck-up. Read the Truth of what those assholes did:
https://x.com/Joe_S_Pure/status/1887861517824991600?s=19
Just fascinating watching the roaches like Gadfly and Bich scurry around in the new light.
Funny how FARA was studiously ignored regarding Hunter Biden but rigorously, even zealously enforced with respect to Joe Biden’s political enemies. Cry me a river gadfly.
Take a look at what self-proclaimed conservative Rich is defending.
Half a billion dollars of USAID money has been shuttled to a global propaganda outfit called Internews Network, which gives its address as this abandoned building in California.
@Inga sez: "An internal email reviewed by WIRED calls DOGE staff’s access to federal payments systems “the single greatest insider threat risk the Bureau of the Fiscal Service has ever faced.....” This is probably true, but not the way you think it is.
...then Inga sez: "...“If DOGE members have any access to payment systems, we recommend suspending that access immediately and conducting a comprehensive review of all actions they may have taken on these systems.”
This is another diversionary red herring, the way I read it. My take is that the DOGE team has been granted read-only access to discover what the transactions have been - not to change them. They have no power to reverse transactions that have already happened, and they certainly have no authority to re-direct funds that are budgeted. I would welcome any actual evidence the contrary. So why is this the point of discussion then? 'Oooh, they're violating the privacy of citizens....' When did they do that? What did they actually do?
DOGE is a giant, merciless spotlight, and even worse, a discriminatory one that is ferreting out the worst offenses and putting them up for viewing. It's making all the right suspects panic, and hence these reactions - desperate appeals to sympathetic authorities. The people that have been looting and squandering our treasure are being exposed, and they're desperate to make us look somewhere else. That's how I read it.
The thing is, DOGE is actually a renamed pre-existing government agency, and there are preexisting DOGE employees within Treasury. The Trump admin isn't stupid.
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1887038847629877714.html
Kak - after 4 years of hidden massive spending without tax payer approval - enlighten us on the process.
"My take is that the DOGE team has been granted read-only access to discover what the transactions have been - not to change them."
The Treasury Secretary said this explicitly yesterday.
If it's a payment system, it's already connected to the outside world, right?
JSM
Its fun to watch all the serial hoaxing ruparing liars (P-Inga, gadfly, LLR-democratical Rich etc) just keep doubling and tripling and quadrupling and x-tupling down on the gaslighting talking points handed to them from New Soviet Democratical Politburo headquarters.
Meanwhile,the few remaining thinking members of the dem party (so very very very few), facing the reality of a 31% total approval number for the New Soviet Democratical Party from the general public, recognize both the necessity and impossibility of fundamental, across the board changes for the New Soviet Democraticals to regain some footing before the political party realignment in work for over 3 decades becomes permanent.
I am extremely pleased to report that the crew that has driven the dems over the cliff are still the vast majority of the dems. Probably 90%+!
For this 90%+, it will always be 2015 and the general public, across the political spectrum, has not yet seen behind the curtain...but they have. Better yet, they will see even more behind the curtain as the days roll on, no matter how many Hawaiian judges jump into the mix.
There is no going back and New Soviet Democraticals can't adapt.
Oh sure, the dems will pick up a few doltish supposed GOP-ers, like Lilly, the dog, but that subgroup is so small as to be neglible in terms of numbers and/or influence.
Good times, good times...
I'll also personally note, that thanks to Barack Obama, the government of China has my SF85, so Democrats can stop with "they are gaining access to people's sensitive data".
SF86. And that Standard Form can go screw itself. I nominate it as the worst government form ever devised and released upon an unsuspecting public. I will admit it the online version has gotten better since I filled out my first paper copy decades ago.
It is actually somewhat humorous reading various comments around the 'net when they complain about these DOGE 'kids' (by which I think they mean adults) not having had enough time to get a clearance, or that they are unsafe to hold a clearance because they are so young, etc...etc... The kicker is that various Title 50 three-letter orgs (think NSA, CIA, NRO, NGA, etc...) invite summer interns (ie, college students) to work on highly classified programs. New interns every year. Same age as the DOGEers. Not a peep about security risks.
I'm actually looking forward to DOGE'ing the DoD. It may actually pass the subsequent audit! But more than that, something has to be done about the acquisition system. CDR Salamander shoots pretty straight on that topic.
john mosby said..."If it's a payment system, it's already connected to the outside world, right?"
P-Inga's and Rich' ChiCom allies had ZERO problems in December accessing every bit of info P-Inga claims to be concerned about.
Dare I ask?
Just where is the link to P-Inga's posting expressing concern about ChiComs stealing all this data?
She cant even bring herself to criticize them, or the obama / biden crew allowing it to happen 2 months ago!
Its similar to P-Inga's adament refusal to criticize MS13 machete murderers. P-Inga literally criticized Trump for having the parents of 2 high school girls that were brutally machete-murdered in the gallery of a State of the Union Address.
Again, lefties cannot adapt.
MaxedOutMama said...
The thing is, DOGE is actually a renamed pre-existing government agency, and there are preexisting DOGE employees within Treasury. The Trump admin isn't stupid.
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1887038847629877714.html
I think the mis-handling of that point has been the biggest flaw of the campaign so far. The document showing that USDS was officially reformed should have been shouted from the rooftops like the rest of the executive orders. As it is, it seems like comparatively few people understand that DOGE is more than just a tech billionaire and a team of coders rampaging through the government with no lawful authority. They are either government employees or contractors acting for the government (something that is a fairly normal practice, but they cannot perform what are called 'inherently governmental functions' such as hiring/firing decisions, perform contractual actions, obligate the government, etc... They can, however, act as advisors for government officials who are executing those tasks). Likely the latter, I convinced myself in the extended parenthetical. That avoids a whole lot red tape, but it also means there would be a contract out in public domain that could be found. Might be worth the time of some of our keyboard warriors here to look into!
But I digress. The fact that it is _not_ a well known fact that DOGE is internal to USDS allows a whole lot of FUD to be thrown around and believed. Were I in charge of PR strategy, I would make it a point, post haste, to pound the table on all available outlets for a few days on this point. There will still be sour grapes, but it would shore up what feels like the easiest line of attack against the effort.
The courts can only delay the inevitable. The corruption of the Deep State has been exposed for all to see. That toothpaste is not going back in the tube.
"It is actually somewhat humorous reading various comments around the 'net when they complain about these DOGE 'kids' (by which I think they mean adults) not having had enough time to get a clearance, or that they are unsafe to hold a clearance because they are so young, etc...etc... "
Not too young to vote, though.
I don't know anything about anything, except that I wonder who could have standing to bring this complaint?
No matter what the outcome of this case, Trump has full power to declassify. He can order that all spending line items can be issued as a press release as soon as the check is cut. So all the wild spending can be seen by the public, and congress will be forced to justify it.
And suspend all employees who try to hide spending for malfeasance.
Dumbass Rich doesn’t understand how discretionary spending works. He doesn’t understand discretion in any form. He doesn’t understand much at all really. He’s like a fat little clown that waddles in so we can laugh at his struggle to exit the stage without crapping his pants.
They’re not going to waste time explaining anything A Seven, because they’re on offense on all fronts and just getting started. As Dana Perino wisely says, “if you’re explaining you’re losing.” Just Do It. Let the idiots on TV speculate all they want. Obviously the info is easy enough to find that I and many others here have seen the details. Start with Insty and the PowerLine guys. Throw in some Ace of Spades if have a strong constitution. If you want it spelled out in <1-hour videos then stream the Dan Bongino show at 11 eastern every morning.
I liked Michael Dell’s tweet that he started Dell Computers at 19. He said that it seems to be working out “so far.”
What James said @10:37 👆🏽
"heightens the risk of leaks ..."
Bears repeating:
"DOGE: Democrats in Congress didn't seem to mind that China had remote access to EVERY workstation in the Treasury as recently as December. Now a month later they're freaking out that Trump's appointees are accessing the very same computers - demanding violence in the streets."
https://x.com/amuse/status/1887218902381289510?t=ibOLMyhd2SgDn4yDYmZGOg&s=19
Kakistocracy said...
Since when is “DOGE” a government agency?
Has Musk received security clearance?
At least some guardrails seem to be working.
Since DAy 1 for all that. All the "i"s were dotted, all the "t"s were crossed. Anyone paying attention to REAL news knows that. Apparently you're misinformed by leftist rags like the New York Times. And do you know who started the agency that is now named DOGE? Obama.
I disagree with Aught Severn that DOGE as USDS was mishandled. Had this been highlighted by Trump at any time before the inauguration; then the folks running the Biden White House would have neutered it in advance. The beauty is USDS was sold by Obama to do exactly what DOGE is doing. Use digital services to improve the efficiency of the federal government overall. It was designed to be standalone under the guise that it would prevent duplicate initiatives across departments all doing the same thing to implement digital services. Trump and Musk are making USDS what we were told it was all along.
"I don't know anything about anything, except that I wonder who could have standing to bring this complaint?"
Well, sure- that's easy. Are Republicans doing something Democrats don't like? Then anybody.
"Let the idiots on TV speculate all they want."
Exactly. They're going to lie anyway, no point wasting time with them.
It just such a bogus, bad-faith argument that "They have access to Social Security numbers!!! Eeeeeeeek!" Maybe there are few elderly dimwits and uninformed wine-aunts who believe this, but absolutely no normal person is concerned that Elon Musk is going to apply for a Master Card with your social security number that some programmers exfiltrated from the Treasury department.
All of that is just throwing crap against the wall to see what sticks. The real concern is uncovering the network flow of taxpayer dollars that are both skimmed and laundered as they wind their way through a system of corrupt non-profits and foundations.
If all these funds were really going to charity there would be no reason to parcel them around like this: you'd just send the money to the front-line organization or do that work yourself. It is all a scam that should be shut down completely and any actually beneficial charity parts rebuilt one-by-one in a transparent and openly-debated manner.
If nothing else, DOGE can destroy the incomes of thousands of "administrators" who are getting paid 6-figure salaries to skim off funds, make personal donations to the Party out of their salaries, and then pass the money on to the next administrator who does the same.
I want a guest performance by Giovanni Jones.
"MSNBC host Chris Hayes tells Bill Maher that if parents want to abuse their children by mutilating them or giving them cross-sex hormones, the government has no right to step in and stop them - and that's the message the Democrats should use to win back power"
Perfect.
Leftists/LLR's cannot adapt.
"Appointed by Barak Obama". For a change, they're not in Hawaii.
"If all these funds were really going to charity there would be no reason to parcel them around like this: you'd just send the money to the front-line organization or do that work yourself."
"NGO"? Heh. How can you call yourself "non-governmental" when the government is where you're getting your funding and that's whose agenda you're advancing?
Post a Comment
Comments older than 2 days are always moderated. Newer comments may be unmoderated, but are still subject to a spam filter and may take a few hours to get released. Thanks for your contributions and your patience.