alt Hacker NewsClearance does not allow indiscriminate access, it just means you are theoretically trustable. You still need a reason to access the data, usually negotiated with the data owners, who is legally responsible for protecting the data. DOGE has bypassed all of that to just hoover up whatever they can.
They were hired to, and authorized explicitly by the President to access that data. In writing.
That's as valid of a reason as you can get in the executive branch.