Federal Judge Rules Elon Musk DOGE Role Permanent Amid Multistate Lawsuit

Elon Musk's role as the leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) within the Trump administration has been ruled by a federal judge to be a continuing and permanent position, rejecting the White House's claim that Musk served only in a temporary advisory capacity. This decision allows a lawsuit brought by 14 states, led by New Mexico, to proceed, with allegations that Musk lacked legal authority for his sweeping reforms, including deep budget cuts, agency closures, and accessing sensitive government data without congressional authorization. Judge Tanya Chutkan found that Musk exercises significant authority across the executive branch despite not being formally appointed or Senate-confirmed, and that DOGE's actions potentially caused harm through unauthorized data access and overreach. While President Trump was dismissed from the case due to constitutional protections for presidential duties, the ruling intensifies scrutiny on Musk's informal yet influential leadership, which has included dismantling federal IT infrastructure and aggressively cutting the federal workforce. Musk's efforts through DOGE have been framed as attempts to impose fiscal discipline and streamline government, but critics argue these moves exceed legal boundaries. The controversy highlights tensions over the legality and oversight of executive appointments and federal agency restructuring under Musk's direction.