Minutes after President Donald Trump‘s oath-taking ceremony, newly filed lawsuits against his so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) allege that the committee violates federal advisory regulations.
What Happened: According to ABC News, several lawsuits have been filed.
- A union representing thousands of federal employees and a consumer watchdog group accuse President Trump of refusing to “regard DOGE as an advisory committee.”
- The Center for Biological Diversity, a climate-focused advocacy group, seeks a broad array of records from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), including “all transition materials sent to or received by OMB referencing” … DOGE co-chairs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.
- The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington seeks to “[block] the operation of DOGE until it comes into compliance with the law.”
- In another lawsuit, filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, plaintiffs Jerald Lentini, Joshua Erlich, and National Security Counselors, Inc. aregue that DOGE isn’t compliant with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA).
DOGE, announced by Trump on Nov. 12, 2024, is an advisory committee established to provide advice and guidance regarding government structure.
Musk and Ramaswamy seek to work closely with the White House and the OMB to cut trillions in federal spending.
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Why It Matters: Musk and Ramaswamy have publicly described their goals for the committee as achieving “mass headcount reductions” and cutting federal regulations.
However, critics argue that DOGE's membership—largely comprising tech industry leaders and Republican-aligned individuals—fails to represent broader perspectives, such as those of federal employees or unions.
According to one complaint, the plaintiffs, who include a public interest law firm, federal employees, and transparency advocates, sought membership in DOGE to ensure fair representation.
Their applications were allegedly ignored, further fueling accusations of imbalanced participation. The NSC claims that DOGE's operations fail to meet FACA's requirements for balanced representation, transparency, and public accountability.
Plaintiffs also assert that DOGE has not filed the required charter with Congress, nor has it made records, agendas, or meeting minutes available to the public.
Reports also allege that DOGE communicates through encrypted platforms like Signal, bypassing public scrutiny.
The plaintiffs are seeking an injunction to halt DOGE's activities until it complies with FACA.
They are also calling for the removal of any reports or recommendations produced by the committee from official use.
What’s Next: DOGE plans to utilize legal experts embedded in government agencies and use technology to evaluate government regulations.
Specific allegations include the absence of diverse viewpoints, improper influence from appointing authorities, lack of an advisory charter, and failure to notify the public of meetings.
Ramaswamy is set to leave DOGE at some point to run for an Ohio governorship bid.
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