On February 13, 2025, attorneys general from 14 states—New Mexico, Arizona, Michigan, Maryland, Minnesota, California, Nevada, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii—filed a lawsuit in federal court in Washington, D.C., against the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk.
The lawsuit challenged DOGE’s authority, claiming that President Trump violated the Appointments Clause of the U.S. Constitution by establishing DOGE as a federal entity without congressional approval. The states allege that Musk, operating without Senate confirmation, has been given “virtually unchecked power” to access sensitive government data, fire federal employees, cut budgets, cancel contracts, and dismantle agencies, causing “chaos and confusion” across the government. They argue this overreach threatens state programs and citizens’ data security, asserting that such authority can only be exercised by a properly appointed official.
The initial hearing occurred on February 17, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan (an Obama appointee) during a special Presidents’ Day session held via Zoom. The states sought a…
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