In a decision that tweaks the balance between privacy concerns and federal oversight, U.S. District Judge Jeannette A. Vargas has relaxed a prior ban on Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing sensitive Treasury Department data. The restriction, imposed two months ago, was originally prompted by a lawsuit filed by 19 Democratic state attorneys general. The plaintiffs had argued that Musk’s team—composed of political appointees rather than seasoned civil servants—shouldn’t have access to personally identifiable financial data, such as Social Security numbers and bank account information.

Vargas’s updated ruling allows one DOGE staffer, Ryan Wunderly, to access Treasury’s payment systems, internal records, and any systems containing confidential data—if he completes the same training that Treasury employees undergo and files a financial disclosure report. This move effectively reopens access to vast swaths of data DOGE says it needs to “modernize” and audit Treasury payment systems.

DOGE, created under Musk’s federal efficiency directive, has become a political lightning rod. Supporters hail it as a long-overdue initiative to streamline bloated government agencies and root out inefficiency. Detractors, however, see a deeper threat: unvetted appointees gaining access to powerful federal systems and personal citizen data without the traditional safeguards.

The judge’s decision comes after weeks of growing controversy and prior appeals court battles that saw DOGE’s access temporarily restored at other U.S. agencies. Now, the door is cracked open again at the Treasury Department—at least for one individual with the right credentials. Whether this signals broader access for Musk’s team in the future remains to be seen.