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lanlady

(7,189 posts)
Mon Jan 20, 2025, 09:07 AM 17 hrs ago

Elon Musk's DOGE to be sued within minutes of Trump inauguration

Source: Washington Post

A lawsuit claiming billionaire Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” violates federal transparency rules will be filed within minutes of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration Monday, kicking off a legal battle over a key aspect of the incoming administration’s agenda.
In a 30-page complaint obtained by The Washington Post ahead of its filing, the public interest law firm National Security Counselors says that the nongovernmental DOGE panel is breaking a 1972 law that requires advisory committees to the executive branch to follow certain rules on disclosure, hiring and other practices.

.Shortly after the election, Trump tapped Musk and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to lead DOGE in identifying government regulations and spending programs for the White House to cut. The group has already hired dozens of staffers as it works out of the Washington offices of Musk’s company SpaceX, sending emissaries across U.S. agencies to put together a list of recommendations to execute in tandem with the administration and often communicating on the encrypted messaging app Signal.

The lawsuit alleges that DOGE meets the requirements to be considered a “federal advisory committee,” a class of legal entity regulated to ensure the government receives transparent and balanced advice. These groups, known as FACAs, are required by law to have “fairly balanced” representation, keep regular minutes of meetings, allow the public to attend, file a charter with Congress and more — all steps that DOGE does not appear to have taken

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/01/20/doge-trump-musk-ramaswamy/

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Elon Musk's DOGE to be sued within minutes of Trump inauguration (Original Post) lanlady 17 hrs ago OP
give 'em hell markie 17 hrs ago #1
And only stop when they are actually in Hell where they belong. GreenWave 17 hrs ago #2
YES! Fight back! Fla Dem 17 hrs ago #3
NOT a Department, name notwithstanding. SomewhereInTheMiddle 15 hrs ago #4
Excellent drmeow 15 hrs ago #5
Good! highplainsdem 15 hrs ago #6
Party of Law & Order.. bull crap. nt Exp 14 hrs ago #7

Fla Dem

(26,076 posts)
3. YES! Fight back!
Mon Jan 20, 2025, 09:27 AM
17 hrs ago

My only concern is that Musk has a bottomless pit of funds to fight any lawsuit.

Not sure the National Security Counselors are as well funded.

https://www.nationalsecuritylaw.org/about-us

Follow on bluesky
https://bsky.app/profile/nationalsecuritylaw.org

4. NOT a Department, name notwithstanding.
Mon Jan 20, 2025, 11:19 AM
15 hrs ago

I have been calling them an advisory group as that seems to be the only thing that fits. It had not occurred to me that there would be various transparency laws that would apply to them. They have to fit within some official framework, or they should have only the access to federal offices and agencies that any US citizens would have, which is relatively limited.

Or they could claim to be consultants the President has hired to conduct an efficiency review of the Executive branch, but that likely has regulatory and legal implications as well.

I hope the case goes before a reasonable judge.

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