United States | News & Politics

Elon Musk’s “department of government efficiency” (Doge) program was sued within minutes of Donald Trump being sworn in.

The 30-page lawsuit, obtained by The Washington Post, challenges the legality of the government advisory committee Trump claims he has created, by alleging it violates federal transparency rules on disclosure, hiring and other practices.

The public interest law firm National Security Counselors says in the claim that Musk’s efficiency panel meets the bar to be considered a “federal advisory committee”, a class of legal entity regulated to ensure the government receives transparent and balanced advice, but fails to have “fairly balanced” representation, keep records of its meetings and be open to public scrutiny, as required by law.

“All meetings of Doge, including those conducted through an electronic medium, must be open to the public”, the lawsuit states.

The anticipated legal challenges of the legitimacy of Doge have also been expected, including by Musk, who argues his opponents in government have used “lawfare” tactics to stymie him and his companies.