DOGE Gains Access to Confidential Housing & Medical Records—Including Domestic Violence Cases.
Elon Musk’s Government Watchdog Faces Scrutiny Over Sensitive Data Access
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been granted access to a highly sensitive U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) database, containing personal details of housing discrimination victims, domestic violence survivors, and individuals with medical conditions.
The HUD Enforcement Management System (HEMS) stores private financial records, Social Security numbers, medical files, and case reports. Despite its restricted nature, HUD recently approved DOGE’s access request, according to documents reviewed by Lawyer Monthly and officials familiar with the matter.
DOGE’s Expanding Reach into Sensitive Government Data
This latest development is part of DOGE’s broader push to gain access to confidential government records. In recent weeks, DOGE has also sought:
✅ Taxpayer records from the IRS
✅ Data on Social Security benefit recipients
✅ Entry into the Treasury Department’s payment systems
While DOGE claims its mission is to modernize government technology and eliminate waste, critics warn that its unprecedented data access raises serious privacy concerns. Several agencies, including the Department of Education and Treasury, have pushed back through lawsuits and court orders blocking DOGE’s access.
Why This Matters: The Risk to Victims
The HUD database contains highly sensitive details about discrimination complaints, including:
🚨 Addresses of domestic violence survivors
🚨 Sexual harassment case reports
🚨 Medical records from disability-related discrimination claims
🚨 Financial documents like credit reports and bank statements
🚨 Names of anonymous witnesses who reported landlords for discrimination
HUD officials, speaking anonymously due to fear of retaliation, say that DOGE’s involvement could expose vulnerable individuals to harm if their data is mishandled or leaked.
Civil Rights & Legal Backlash
Legal and civil rights groups are sounding the alarm over DOGE’s data collection practices.
“There is no reason why a civil rights complaint database should be relevant to DOGE’s so-called mission of eliminating government waste,” said Cody Venzke, senior policy counsel at the ACLU.
The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) is also suing DOGE, alleging that it falsely claims to be fighting fraud while actually trying to control federal agency databases.
What’s Next? The Bigger Picture
📉 Massive HUD Workforce Cuts: The Trump administration is reportedly considering a 50% cut to HUD’s workforce, with the Fair Housing Office potentially losing up to 76% of its staff—raising concerns about enforcement of civil rights protections.
⚖️ Privacy Lawsuits Mounting: Federal courts have temporarily blocked DOGE from accessing other sensitive databases, with more legal battles on the horizon.
📢 Government Transparency or Overreach? While DOGE argues that “direct access” is needed to eliminate fraud, critics say it could be a power grab to weaken protections for discrimination victims.
HUD’s Response: Denial Without Evidence
HUD’s public affairs chief Kasey Lovett insisted DOGE does not have access to HEMS—but declined to provide evidence supporting her claim.
With watchdogs and legal experts closely monitoring DOGE’s next moves, this battle over data access, civil rights, and government transparency is far from over.
