Elon Musk has called for the impeachment of U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer following a ruling on Saturday that limits his Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) access to the Treasury Department’s payment systems.
The judge’s decision restricts access to civil servants with a direct need for it in their roles, barring special government employees and temporary workers from using the systems. Engelmayer also ordered that anyone already blocked must immediately destroy any downloaded materials from the Treasury.
The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by 19 Democratic state attorneys general, who raised concerns over Musk’s team’s access to sensitive financial data. Engelmayer justified the decision, citing risks posed by Musk’s cost-cutting measures, which he argued made Treasury systems more vulnerable to hacking and increased the disclosure of confidential information.
Musk, clearly frustrated, took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his discontent, calling the judge “corrupt” and demanding his impeachment. Musk also suggested that the worst 1% of appointed judges should be fired annually to eliminate corruption and incompetence.
The ruling remains in effect until at least Friday when another judge will hear the case in New York to decide if the order should be extended.