Photo: Alamy
A federal judge has rejected a request for a restraining order against the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The petition, filed by Democratic attorneys general from 14 states, sought to prevent Elon Musk and the members of DOGE from accessing data and continuing the process of cutting waste from the federal government.
The petitioners argued Musk was exercising unlawful influence within the federal government and acting as an “agent of chaos.” The Trump administration responded to the petition for a restraining order by arguing Musk is not overreaching because does not have formal government authority to make decisions and is merely acting in an advisory role.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled the 14 states had failed to show they would suffer “imminent, irreparable harm,” and therefore did not meet the standard for a restraining order.
Judge Chutkan acknowledged the actions of DOGE had created “uncertainty and confusion” for the plaintiffs, but stated the possibility of future harm did not warrant a restraining order.
The decision comes as DOGE seeks to access the Integrated Data Retrieval System (IDRS), a system within the Internal Revenue Service which contains financial data for individual taxpayers and businesses.
DOGE has uncovered waste in government spending on multiple fronts, with Musk publicly sharing the agency findings on X.
DOGE recently revealed a cursory review of the the Social Security system which indicated high levels of fraud and waste. In a post shared on X, Musk showed millions of Americans who are collecting Social Security to be over the age of 110.
The efforts of DOGE to uncover wasteful government spending have been met with solid public support. Despite backlash from Democratic lawmakers, DOGE has resulted in strong approval ratings for the Trump administration.
