Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy’s cost-cutting program, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is facing multiple lawsuits as President Trump begins his second term.
One lawsuit, filed by the public interest group National Security Counselors, accuses DOGE of breaking the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). This law ensures federal advisory committees are transparent, balanced, and accessible to the public. According to the lawsuit, DOGE’s operations lack diversity of viewpoints and fail to comply with transparency rules. The suit was filed in a Washington, D.C., federal court.
Another coalition, including veterans, public health professionals, and teachers, also sued DOGE. They want a court to stop DOGE’s work until it follows FACA’s requirements. Skye Perryman, CEO of Democracy Forward, stated, “DOGE must not operate in secret without public oversight and participation.”
DOGE, which is not a formal government agency, was tasked by Trump to find ways to cut $500 billion in federal spending. Critics claim its team mainly consists of tech executives, Trump allies, and associates of Musk and Ramaswamy, with no federal employees or representatives of federal workers included. This, they argue, violates FACA.
The lawsuits also highlight DOGE’s private meetings with tech executives and officials, arguing these actions exclude public input. Kel McClanahan, director of National Security Counselors, warned that DOGE’s lack of understanding of government work could lead to harmful recommendations.
The plaintiffs include two attorneys, Jerald Lentini and Joshua Erlich, who applied to work with DOGE but never received responses. They argue DOGE is not open to including representatives of federal employees, unions, or transparency advocates.
Neither Musk nor the Trump campaign has responded to the allegations. Ramaswamy, meanwhile, is expected to step away from DOGE to run for governor of Ohio.
