​Judge faces impeachment for blocking DOGE's Treasury access: 'Judicial overreach'

Representative Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) announced Tuesday morning that he is filing articles of impeachment against the judge who blocked the Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, from accessing the Treasury Department's payment systems.

U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer, appointed by former President Barack Obama, issued a temporary restraining order on Saturday in response to an emergency request from 19 Democratic attorneys general. They argued that DOGE's access could risk exposing sensitive and confidential information.

'Where in the constitution does it say a President and his team cannot root out obvious waste, fraud and abuse?'

"The Court's firm assessment is that, for the reasons stated by the States, they will face irreparable harm in the absence of injunctive relief," Engelmayer wrote. "That is both because of the risk that the new policy presents of the disclosure of sensitive and confidential information and the heightened risk that the systems in question will be more vulnerable than before to hacking."

Those prohibited under the judge's order from accessing the information were instructed to "immediately destroy any and all copies of material downloaded from the Treasury Department's records and systems, if any."

The judge also concluded that the attorneys general demonstrated "a likelihood of success on the merits of their claims," calling their arguments "particularly strong."

The temporary restraining order prevents the DOGE from accessing the Treasury Department's payment systems until at least a scheduled hearing on February 14, when the judge may decide to extend or modify the order.

U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas, appointed by former President Joe Biden, will oversee the case.

Crane stated on Tuesday that he was "drafting articles of impeachment" against Engelmayer.

"Partisan judges abusing their positions is a threat to democracy," he wrote in a post on X. "The left has done 'irreparable harm' to this country. President Trump and his team at @DOGE are trying to fix it."

"This is obviously judicial overreach," Crane continued. "Judge Engelmayer is attempting to stop White House employees from accessing the very systems they oversee. Where in the constitution does it say a President and his team cannot root out obvious waste, fraud and abuse?"

Engelmayer did not respond to a request for comment from Newsweek.

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