A coalition of states is asking a federal court to issue a temporary restraining order against Elon Musk and his team of government downsizers.
The states’ request, filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, argues that Musk is “an unelected, unconfirmed government official” who “is exercising unprecedented executive authority” in violation of the Constitution.
The move follows states’ Thursday lawsuit asking the court to invalidate the work of Musk and his so-called Department of Government Efficiency team. The lawsuit — led by the Democratic attorneys general of Arizona, New Mexico and Michigan — contends that President Donald Trump has given Musk “seemingly limitless and unchecked power” over federal agencies “without proper legal authorization from Congress and without meaningful supervision of his activities.”
Musk, whom Trump put in charge of his DOGE government-downsizing team, is operating as a special government employee and has publicly called for the deletion of federal agencies.
