Multiple Lawsuits Target DOGE Government Access

Multiple Lawsuits Target DOGE Government Access
Above: From the left, Cantor Fitzgerald LP CEO Howard Lutnick, Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk, and deputy White House chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller, during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., US, on Feb. 13, 2025. Image copyright: Francis Chung/Contributor/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The Facts

  • 14 US states have filed a federal lawsuit challenging the authority of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), arguing that his appointment violates the Constitution's Appointments Clause as he wasn't confirmed by the Senate.

  • One federal judge has been asked to extend his temporary pause on DOGE's access to Treasury Department payment systems, while another is considering a claim from unions that DOGE be barred from accessing Health Department, Labor Department, and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) records.

  • Current and former US Agency for International Development (USAID) employees have joined the legal opposition, filing a separate lawsuit to prevent Musk from accessing sensitive data and removing federal employees without proper constitutional authority.

The Spin

Anti-Trump narrative

DOGE has completely skirted the Constitution by allowing a small, unelected group to bypass Congress, fundamentally altering government without a shred of legal authority. This radical transformation lacks public mandate or legislative approval, flouting both separation of powers and checks and balances. Musk is conducting a coup from the inside, which is why the courts must step in to rein in this lawlessness.

Pro-Trump narrative

DOGE was created carefully to avoid violating the law by leveraging existing structures like the Obama-era United States Digital Service. The only ones mad about this are the unelected bureaucrats amassing personal wealth — highlighting that Americans from both sides of the aisle are against their tax dollars filling the pockets of corrupt officials. DOGE is not a coup, its mission is to cut waste, fraud, and abuse.

Metaculus Prediction


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