Fourteen Attorneys General from U.S. Democratic states such as New Mexico, Arizona, Michigan, California and others are suing President Trump, accusing him of violating the Constitution, and more specifically, granting apparently unlimited powers to Elon Musk, an unelected civilian. They claim that the U.S. president has “transformed Musk’s position, which was previously responsible for managing government sites, into an agent of unrestrained chaos,” and have called the move “an illegal delegation of executive power.”
“Musk’s unlimited and unchecked power to deprive the government of its workforce and eliminate entire departments with the stroke of a pen or the click of a mouse would have come as a shock to those who founded this country,” the lawsuit reads. “Absolute authority vested in an unelected and unconfirmed individual is contrary to the Constitution.”
Specifically, the suit challenges the power entrusted to Musk for his cost-cutting initiative through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) despite the fact that this is not an official department, but an “advisory” entity housed in the White House Executive Office.
The lawsuit was filed on the same day that Musk and his team were sued by a group of public employees, represented by the U.S.-based watchdog nonprofit State Democracy Defenders Fund. The plaintiffs in this second suit also argue that Musk’s actions – ranging from restructuring government agencies to accessing sensitive data – are beyond his legal authority.
The states accuse Musk not only of engaging in unconstitutional acts, but also of harming Americans by jeopardizing billions of dollars of federal funding earmarked for primary services that should be guaranteed for the socio-economic well-being of a country, such as the Department of Education, for which he has already announced cuts of more than $900 million, as well as federal institutions managing health care and law enforcement. The lawsuit also highlight’s Musk’s action abolishing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an independent agency established in 2010 with the mission of protecting consumers by ensuring fair and transparent practices by financial institutions. As of January 30th, 2025, the CFPB has returned nearly $20 billion to the public in consumer relief for unjust fees and fines levied by financial institutions. Musk’s DOGE has also gained access to the Treasury Department’s payment systems.
