A federal judge has ruled against immediately blocking billionaire Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency from accessing government data systems or participating in worker layoffs. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan determined that while there are concerns about Musk's authority, there is not enough evidence of significant legal harm to warrant a temporary restraining order.
The lawsuit, filed by 14 Democratic states, challenges DOGE’s authority to access sensitive government data. The attorneys general argue that Musk is wielding power that should be held only by elected or Senate-confirmed officials. The Trump administration contends that layoffs are under the purview of agency heads and that Musk is not directly managing DOGE's day-to-day operations.
