Massachusetts is among a group of blue states challenging the authority of billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency’s “virtually unchecked power” to access sensitive federal government data.
A lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., by Attorney General Andrea Campbell and 14 other Democratic AGs alleges that the access given to Musk and his DOGE team by President Donald Trump violates the separation of powers doctrine by creating a new department without approval from the U.S. Senate, among other allegations.
The AGs ask the judge to blunt Musk’s power by declaring that his recommendations are not legally binding and that he has no authority to
issue orders. They also want the court to bar Musk and DOGE from making changes to the disbursement of public funds, canceling government contracts or taking steps to dismantle
agencies.
“ There is no greater threat to democracy than the accumulation of state power in the hands of a single, unelected individual,” the 64 page complaint states. “Oblivious to the threat this poses to the nation, President Trump has delegated virtually unchecked authority to Mr. Musk without proper legal authorization from Congress and without meaningful supervision of his activities.”
Campbell said the lawsuit “seeks to put an end to the ongoing corruption and abuse of power at DOGE that threatens funding for crucial needs such as healthcare, education, and more.”