Elon Musk is demanding the impeachment of a federal judge who ruled early Saturday morning to block access to the U.S. Treasury’s payment systems for anyone who isn’t a government employee with a specific need to use them.
The decision by Judge Paul Engelmayer, appointed by President Obama, prevents special government employees and outside officials, including Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), from accessing the systems.
Musk, who leads DOGE, expressed his anger on social media platform X, calling the judge “corrupt” and urging his impeachment. “A corrupt judge protecting corruption,” Musk wrote. “He needs to be impeached NOW.”
Musk’s comments came in response to posts by conservative commentator Glenn Beck and others discussing the impeachment of judges who have ruled against actions by the Trump administration.
The judge’s ruling was in response to a lawsuit filed by 19 Democratic state attorneys general. They were concerned about Musk and his team gaining access to sensitive Treasury systems, fearing it could risk the exposure of private citizen information or make the systems more vulnerable to hacking.
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The judge ordered anyone blocked from accessing the systems to immediately destroy any materials they had already downloaded.
The ruling is temporary and will be reviewed by another judge on Friday to decide if the restrictions should continue. Judge Engelmayer stated that without this action, the states would face “irreparable harm” due to the risks of data breaches and misuse of sensitive information.
Musk’s efforts to access federal agency systems have sparked multiple legal battles since President Trump took office. Musk, the world’s richest man, has become a close ally of Trump, who has publicly supported Musk’s actions.
However, Musk’s push for access has raised concerns among Democrats and career government employees about potential misuse of sensitive data and the possibility of cutting off funds approved by Congress that the Trump administration may not support.
Musk’s threat to impeach a judge could escalate tensions between the executive and judicial branches of the U.S. government, as courts continue to challenge many of the Trump administration’s policies.
