Oregon AG sues Trump administration over demand for personal data of 17 million drivers
OREGON (KTVZ) -- Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield is leading a coalition of 21 state attorneys general and the state of Pennsylvania in a lawsuit against federal agencies over demands for personal data belonging to 17 million commercial drivers.
The legal challenge follows threats from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to withhold more than $10 million in federal funding from the nonprofit organization that manages the driver database if the records are not surrendered.
The lawsuits target the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators and the Department of Homeland Security. According to the filings, federal officials sought five years of driver records without public notification or established limits on how the sensitive information would be stored or shared.
Commercial driver license data has been shared among states through the Commercial Driver's License Information System since 1986 to prevent drivers from holding licenses in multiple states. The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators has operated the system on behalf of the states since 1988. The database includes names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers and issuing states for commercial drivers.
Oregon Rayfield warned that the federal demand threatens driver privacy and exceeds federal authority.
“This is about whether millions of working Oregonians and Americans can trust that their most sensitive information won't be misused,” Rayfield said. “When you get a commercial driver's license, you trust the state to keep your Social Security number and personal information safe – no one expected the federal government to demand that states hand over information like this in bulk and for who knows what purpose.”
The filings contend that federal officials skipped required legal procedures, including consulting state governments, before seeking to create a duplicate federal database.
Joining Rayfield in the legal action are attorneys general from Arizona, Calif., Colo., Conn., Del., Hawaii, Ill., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Nev., N.J., N.M., N.Y., Vt., Va., Wash. and Wisconsin, the attorney general of the District of Columbia and the governor of Pennsylvania. Rayfield has previously filed lawsuits against the federal administration over attempts to use personal data for immigration enforcement and other undisclosed purposes.
