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By Sean O'Driscoll
Senior Crime and Courts Reporter
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Elon Musk's claims that federal employee "fraudsters" may be using people's social security numbers illegally have been used against him in court.
Why It Matters
Musk, who co-directs the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has vowed to cut $2 trillion a year from the federal budget.
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If activists prevent him from accessing student loan information, it could have major implications for his plans to make sweeping cuts to the education system.
Newsweek sought email comment from DOGE and the Department of Education on Tuesday.
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What To Know
On February 7, the University of California Student Association launched a lawsuit in Washington, D.C. to prevent the Education Department and the acting education secretary, Denise Carter, from sharing student loan information with DOGE.
In response, writer Ashley St. Clair wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "What the f*** do you think Elon Musk is going to do with your social security number??? Tweet it???? Open a line of credit you don't have??????"
Musk shared a link to her post on his X account and added the comment: "Seriously. And for damn sure, I'm 1000% more trustworthy than untold numbers of deep state bureaucrats and fraudsters who may be misusing your SSN right now."
As reported by Kyle Cheney, lawyers for the University of California Student Association used Musk's words against him in court on Monday.
"Litigants in federal court in DC right now, trying to block DOGE's access to student loan data, just cited this post in court," Cheney wrote on X on Monday.
By reading out Musk's words, the students' lawyers are attempting to show that Musk harbors a deep resentment of federal employees, especially in the Department of Education.
What People Are Saying
In its lawsuit filed on February 7, lawyers for the University of California Student Association wrote that the scale of DOGE's intrusion into individuals' privacy is "enormous and unprecedented."
"The personal data of over 42 million people lives in these [Education Department] systems. These are people who trusted ED with their sensitive personal information when they...applied for federal student loans and grants, in reliance on the agency's rules and other representations," they wrote.
"Defendants' action granting DOGE-affiliated individuals continuous and ongoing access to that information for an unspecified period of time means that millions of Americans from all walks of life have no assurance that their sensitive information—and that of their parents and/or spouses—will receive the protection that federal law affords."
What Happens Next
The Department of Education will reply with its own court filings and DOGE officials will likely ask to file amicus of friend of the court submissions on behalf of the department.
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