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Campbell among 14 attorneys general suing Trump, Musk for creating DOGE
The lawsuit claims that Musk was unconstitutionally granted executive powers to oversee DOGE, which was created without Congressional approval.
Attorney General Andrea Campbell and attorneys general from 13 other states sued President Trump and Elon Musk Thursday for creating the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The attorneys general announced that they filed a lawsuit after Musk was granted executive powers to oversee DOGE. The lawsuit argues that the Trump administration did not have the power to create DOGE without approval from Congress or grant Musk power over the federal government without consulting the Senate.
“The President cannot create a new department to restructure the federal government and certainly cannot give unchecked power to a billionaire friend without Congressional action,” Campbell said in a statement. “Our lawsuit seeks to put an end to the ongoing corruption and abuse of power at DOGE that threatens funding for crucial needs such as healthcare, education, and more.”
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The lawsuit claims that Musk has “unraveled federal agencies, accessed sensitive data, and caused widespread disruption” at state, local, and federal levels, the statement said.
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The lawsuit also asserts that Musk’s actions violate the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution, which requires the Senate to confirm all executive appointments, according to the statement. These confirmations intend to ensure that all executive nominees make public financial disclosures to avoid conflicts of interest.
In January, Campbell, along with nearly two dozen other state attorneys general, sued the Trump administration in federal court in Rhode Island over a federal aid spending freeze. A federal judge later paused the spending freeze by ordering a temporary halt.
Campbell and the other attorneys general are seeking a court ruling declaring Musk’s actions unconstitutional, invalidating his previous actions, and barring him from issuing orders to people in the Executive Branch outside of DOGE, the statement said.
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The lawsuit is being led by the New Mexico Department of Justice and the attorneys general of Arizona and Michigan. Campbell is joined in filing the lawsuit by the attorneys general of California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and Vermont, according to the statement.
“Sorry Trump, but you can’t create a whole new department in our government to give your billionaire friend unchecked power that threatens our health care, education, and privacy,” Campbell said in an X post. “We’re suing to put a stop to this corruption.”
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