A lawsuit seeking to block Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing federal data systems and firing agency employees was declined by a federal judge on Tuesday.
The suit, which was filed by attorneys general from 14 Democratic-led states last week, requested a temporary restraining order against Musk and DOGE, alleging that the billionaire had “virtually unchecked power” and was violating the U.S. Constitution’s Appointments Clause.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan rejected the request, however, explaining in a 10-page decision that the states failed to provide consequential evidence that they will suffer imminent, irreparable harm without relief from Musk and DOGE’s actions.
“The court is aware that DOGE’s unpredictable actions have resulted in considerable uncertainty and confusion for Plaintiffs and many of their agencies and residents,” Chutkan wrote. “But the ‘possibility’ that defendants may take actions that irreparably harm plaintiffs ‘is not enough.’”
In the suit, the states alleged that Musk had “transformed a minor position that was formerly responsible for managing government websites into a designated agent of chaos without limitation and in violation of the separation of powers.”
Over the past few weeks, the Tesla mogul has spearheaded a widespread initiative to downsize the federal government through DOGE, ultimately resulting in a handful of unprecedented firsts.
Those included requesting access to some of the IRS’ most sensitive systems and terminating a large pool of federal employees.
