Washington, D.C., February 14, 2025 – The Europe Today: A coalition of fourteen U.S. states filed a lawsuit on Thursday against billionaire Elon Musk, his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and President Donald Trump, arguing that Musk’s extensive efforts to slash government spending are unconstitutional.
The lawsuit, led by New Mexico, contends that Musk’s role as the head of DOGE violates the Appointments Clause of the U.S. Constitution, as he has not been confirmed by the Senate. The plaintiffs assert that Musk’s unchecked authority to reduce government spending, eliminate federal departments, and alter personnel structures undermines the constitutional framework of the Executive Branch.
“Mr. Musk’s seemingly limitless and unchecked power to strip the government of its workforce and eliminate entire departments with the stroke of a pen or click of a mouse would have been shocking to those who won this country’s independence,” the coalition wrote in its filing.
The lawsuit further argues that no unelected and unconfirmed individual should wield the full authority of the Executive Branch, aside from the President, emphasizing that Musk’s position contradicts the fundamental principles of the U.S. constitutional structure.
The states involved in the lawsuit include Arizona, Michigan, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and New Mexico. The plaintiffs are seeking a court injunction to prevent Musk and his DOGE team from making changes to government spending, contracts, regulations, personnel decisions, or data access.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez underscored the constitutional concerns at a press conference, stating, “Our constitutional order was founded in part to guard against the accumulation of state power in the hands of a single individual. While that principle was first directed at an 18th-century monarch, it is no less dangerous in the hands of a 21st-century tech tycoon.”
Additionally, several current and former employees of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) filed a separate lawsuit earlier on Thursday, opposing Musk’s influence over the agency. The legal action follows efforts by the Trump administration to significantly reduce USAID’s scope, limit foreign aid distribution, and lay off thousands of employees.
The case marks a major legal challenge to the administration’s sweeping government restructuring efforts, with significant implications for federal governance and executive authority in the United States.
