“A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has denied a request from 14 attorneys general to prevent Elon Musk’s DOGE from accessing private information across multiple agencies and carrying out mass layoffs within the federal workforce. Judge Tanya Chutkan, an Obama appointee, acknowledged in her ruling on Tuesday that DOGE’s actions were causing significant confusion but ultimately declined to intervene in what critics describe as the dismantling of the government.”
**”Judge Chutkan acknowledged the widespread disruption caused by DOGE, stating, ‘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.’ However, she ruled that the mere ‘possibility’ of irreparable harm was not sufficient grounds for intervention.
Even more notably, Chutkan appeared to recognize that Musk may not actually have the legal authority to take the actions he has. Yet, despite this, she refused to put a stop to DOGE’s access to at least seven federal agencies, including the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Departments of Commerce, Education, Energy, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Transportation.”**
“Musk has not been nominated by the president nor confirmed by the U.S. Senate, as constitutionally required for officers who exercise ‘significant authority pursuant to the laws of the United States,’” she wrote. “Bypassing this ‘significant structural safeguard of the constitutional scheme,’ Musk has rapidly taken steps to fundamentally reshape the Executive Branch.”
The judge seemed open to the argument that people would be harmed, but an emergency order wasn’t warranted, she wrote.
**”Judge Chutkan acknowledged the potential devastation caused by mass federal layoffs, stating, ‘Terminating thousands of federal employees may cause extreme harm to the individual employees and potentially to the institution as a whole.’ However, she ruled that in the context of emergency injunctive relief, the court requires a direct connection to the plaintiffs, not just potential harm to unnamed third parties.
She also recognized the widespread media coverage of Musk’s actions but dismissed it as insufficient grounds for the court to rely on media reports alone when assessing the facts of the case.”**
The ruling, which can be accessed online via Court Listener, is likely to be remembered as a pivotal moment in history. The U.S. government is currently being systematically dismantled by powerful oligarchs like Elon Musk—actions that have received full backing from President Donald Trump and key figures within the U.S. Department of Justice.
The lawsuit, filed by Attorneys General from 14 states—including New Mexico, Arizona, Michigan, Maryland, Minnesota, California, Nevada, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii—laid out a clear case against Musk’s unprecedented overreach. “In recent weeks, Defendant Elon Musk, with President Donald J. Trump’s approval, has roamed through the federal government unraveling agencies, accessing sensitive data, and causing mass chaos and confusion for state and local governments, federal employees, and the American people,” the lawsuit states.
While Judge Tanya Chutkan’s ruling did not immediately halt Musk’s actions, she hinted that future legal action might succeed if stronger evidence is presented. However, the damage may already be irreversible. It is far easier to dismantle institutions than to rebuild them.
A particularly alarming example came last week when more than 300 employees at the National Nuclear Security Administration—responsible for safeguarding the nation’s nuclear arsenal—were abruptly fired. Only after the fact did DOGE operatives realize the critical role these employees played. In a desperate attempt to reverse course, the Trump administration sought to rehire them, only to discover they had no way of reaching many of those dismissed, according to CNN.
If the situation weren’t so dangerous, it would almost be laughable.