OPM, DOGE Oppose Temporary Restraining Order from Federal Government Labor Union
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), its acting director Charles Ezell, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk, among others, filed an opposition motion Wednesday against the American Federation of Government Employees, which sought a temporary restraining order (TRO) against OPM and DOGE, alleging the government violated the Privacy Act. In their opposition, OPM and DOGE argued that government employees have not suffered a cognizable injury from their activities.
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The plaintiffs, current and former federal government employees, submitted their complaint against OPM and DOGE on Feb. 11 in the U.S. District Court for Southern New York, alleging that sensitive personal data was disclosed to DOGE in violation of the Privacy Act of 1974. On Feb. 14, the labor union filed a motion for a TRO to stop “these ongoing and systematic privacy violations.”
The opposition motion said, “At bottom, Plaintiffs’ motion relies on one claim: that it is unlawful for OPM to grant its employees access to OPM records systems for the purpose of carrying out an Executive Order of the President.” It continued, “That claim cannot be correct, so their motion fails.”