Elon Musk's DOGE Faces Legal Hurdles

Judge Tanya Chutkan has expressed doubts about issuing a broad restraining order against Elon Musk and his cost-cutting initiative, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The judge is cautious about acting on news reports alone and has questioned the evidence presented by the 14 states involved in the lawsuit. The lawsuit, filed by 14 states, aims to challenge DOGE's actions as a whole, rather than focusing on specific cuts to individual agencies. This approach is unique compared to other legal actions taken against DOGE this month. The states involved are New Mexico, Arizona, Michigan, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has pledged to slash up to $2 trillion annually from the federal budget through his role in DOGE. This ambitious goal has sparked significant controversy and legal challenges. During a recent hearing, Judge Chutkan questioned the Department of Justice lawyer, Joshua Gardner, about the allegations of mass firings of federal employees. Gardner admitted he couldn't independently confirm these claims. The judge pressed further, emphasizing the gravity of such allegations and the lack of evidence. Chutkan also questioned Gardner's assertion that Musk lacks formal authority to make government decisions. She disagreed with this view, noting that Musk has extensive access to federal government operations. The judge acknowledged that while she didn't see grounds for an immediate restraining order, she might reconsider after hearing more evidence. She highlighted the unusual situation of a private citizen directing a non-federal agency with broad access to government functions. New Mexico Attorney General, Raúl Torrez, representing the 14 plaintiff states, urged the judge to act swiftly. He cited impending mass firings of civil rights officers in the Education Department, scheduled to begin on Wednesday. The judge has promised to issue an order within 24 hours of the hearing. She hinted that even if she doesn't impose a temporary restraining order now, she might do so in the future.