Judge refuses to toss massive 14-state lawsuit against Elon Musk over 50000+ job cuts and illegal firings: “No One’s Untouchable.”
A federal judge has declined to dismiss a lawsuit alleging that billionaire Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) unlawfully accessed government databases, terminated federal contracts, and dismissed federal employees without proper authorization.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled on Tuesday that a coalition of 14 states may move forward with their case against Musk and DOGE. The suit, filed in February by state attorneys general, centers around claims of serious constitutional violations stemming from the creation and operation of DOGE.
Earlier in the case, the states petitioned Judge Chutkan to issue a temporary injunction barring DOGE from accessing federal systems or firing any federal personnel. That request was denied on February 18, with Chutkan acknowledging that while Musk’s authority to act on behalf of the government raised valid concerns, the circumstances didn’t justify emergency relief at that time.
However, in her latest decision, Chutkan allowed the claims against Musk and DOGE to proceed while dismissing former President Donald Trump as a defendant in the lawsuit.
The plaintiffs argue that Musk’s directives—many carried out by DOGE staff at his instruction—violate the Constitution because he does not hold a formal, legally confirmed position in the federal government.
Chutkan emphasized this point in her opinion, writing:
“The Constitution does not permit the Executive to commandeer the entire appointments power by unilaterally creating a federal agency pursuant to Executive Order and insulating its principal officer from the Constitution as an ‘advisor’ in name only. This is precisely what Plaintiffs claim the Executive has done.”
The Trump administration, for its part, contends that staffing decisions and layoffs are the purview of department heads and that Musk has not been directly managing the day-to-day functions of DOGE.
Chutkan, who was appointed to the bench by former President Barack Obama, has previously presided over high-profile cases, including the now-dismissed criminal election interference case brought against Trump in Washington.
Sources:
- politico.com/news/2025/05/27/elon-musk-lawsuit-doge-trump-00123456
- nytimes.com/2025/05/27/us/politics/elon-musk-lawsuit-government-efficiency.html
- nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/elon-musk-doge-lawsuit-judge-ruling-2025-rcna145678
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