A union representing thousands of federal employees in the United States on January 20 sued the newly-inaugurated Donald Trump government over its plans to form the “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) headed by billionaire Elon Musk.
The lawsuit kicks off a high-stakes legal clash over the President Trump’s plans to slash government spending. The lawsuit from the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and government watchdog groups Public Citizen and State Democracy Defenders Fund was one of three cases filed as Trump was sworn in as 47th US President in Washington DC on Monday, Bloomberg reported.
The AFGE case claims that the initiative violates a 1972 US law requiring checks on conflicts of interest, ideological balance and transparency for groups with a direct line to the White House.
Trump administration has touted DOGE as a cornerstone of its plans to streamline government operations. Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s plan to save $2 trillion has given rise to the fears of job losses as most experts believe that is not realistic without deep cuts to crucial social services or benefits.
Earlier, Trump took oath of office administered by Chief Justice John Roberts, using both a family Bible and President Abraham Lincoln’s Bible. Vice President JD Vance was sworn in earlier by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, holding a family heirloom Bible. Trump took the oath as US President for the second time, surrounded by wife Melania Trump and their children.
The federal employees union wrote in its case that the Federal Advisory Committee Act features “guardrails” to stop groups “from turning into vehicles for advancing private interests in the federal decision-making process and secretly influencing federal officials’ exercise of policymaking discretion,” Bloomberg said in its report.
The cases mark the beginning of an expected barrage of legal action against Trump’s agenda, which includes efforts to shrink the size and reach of federal agencies.
Two other cases were also filed in federal court in Washington. One was filed by Democracy Forward and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington on behalf of groups representing teachers, veterans and public health and car safety advocates. The third case was brought by the law firm National Security Counselors.
DOGE announced in November
Trump announced the creation of DOGE shortly after his November election win, saying that the group would work with the White House’s Office of Management and Budget to identify cuts and finish its recommendations by July 4, 2026. Shrinking the size and scope of federal agencies has long been a top priority of Republican administrations.
Although its name includes the word “department,” it’s not a federal agency formally created by Congress. Musk and Ramaswamy staffed up and began their review of the US government’s spending ahead of Trump’s inauguration.
The initiative violates a 1972 US law requiring checks on conflicts of interest, ideological balance and transparency for groups with a direct line to the White House.
The lawsuits also allege that Musk and Ramaswamy aren’t making their records publicly accessible or holding open meetings, which is also required by the law.
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