Elon Musk's actions as head of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have likely breached terms set out in the US Constitution according to a judge, as the controversial Department sought to dismantle USAID.
The Department of Government Efficiency has been controversial ever since it was assembled by US President Donald Trump, as the Elon Musk-led 'private' agency has been tasked with slashing trillions of dollars from the federal budget, almost by any means necessary.
During DOGE's already short existence they have torn apart key departments such as Education, Labor, and Health, and threatened the employment of over 100,000 federal workers through a widespread email.
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There are also claims that the Department put national security at risk following the 'accidental' dismissal of key nuclear weapon experts in the Department of Energy, and they have since had to undergo mass rehiring initiatives across many important areas.
Experts have also called into question DOGE's reported 'savings' numbers, as while the official website points towards $115 billion in estimated cuts, there is little actual proof to back up this significant number.
Now, as reported by ABC News, US District Judge Theodore Chuang has ordered a pause on DOGE's efforts to shut down the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), forcing Musk effective immediately to return "email, payment, security notification, and all other electronic systems" to employees that were recently laid off from the department.
Judge Chuang illustrated that Musk and DOGE's actions "usurped the authority of the public's elected representatives in Congress to make decisions on whether, when, and how to eliminate a federal government agency, and of Officers of the United States duly appointed under the Constitution to exercise the authority entrusted to them."
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President Trump has already indicated what might just be the limits of DOGE's power within the current administration, implying that cabinet members currently have authority to make cuts before Musk comes in and to do the rest.
However, Judge Chuang's ruling might just put a halt to these actions - at least on the scale that we have seen with USAID - as Musk has previously reduced key federal agencies to just a single employee, the legal minimum, through bureaucracy-reducing executive orders initiated by the president.
While DOGE has previously apologised for the 'accidental' removal of key Ebola prevention measures, one former USAID lead has 'debunked' the department's claims that all actions have been restored, claiming the current state is the equivalent of a 'fig leaf to cover their asses'.
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The ruling, however, might be a little too late to restore things completely though, as some speculate that fired USAID workers either have started new employment in the time since they were laid off, or might not be as willing to return to a job that they don't perhaps feel is secure or supported anymore.