DOGE Hit with Lawsuit Following Trump Inauguration

The nonprofit public interest law firm National Security Counselors (NSC) is set to file a lawsuit against the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), according to a report from The Washington Post.

The outlet obtained a 30-page complaint that alleges DOGE is breaking a 1972 law that requires advisory committees to the executive branch to adhere to specific rules. Because DOGE meets the requirements of a “federal advisory committee,” the lawsuit claims, it must have “fairly balanced” representation, keep minutes of meetings, and file a charter with Congress.

Under the 1972 Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), “advice by the various advisory committees formed over the years is objective and accessible to the public.” FACA “formalized a process for establishing, operating, overseeing, and terminating these advisory bodies and created the Committee Management Secretariat to monitor compliance with the Act,” according to a page on the U.S. General Services Administration site.

“DOGE is not exempted from FACA’s requirements,” the lawsuit says. “All meetings of DOGE, including those conducted through an electronic medium, must be open to the public.” It adds, “Not a single member of DOGE is a federal employee or represents the perspective of federal employees.”

The lawsuit requests that the court find that any report produced by DOGE “does not reflect the views of a lawfully constituted advisory committee” and to block Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk, as well as “all of DOGE’s subunits,” from conducting business until it complies with the law.

“We’re not trying to say DOGE can’t exist. Advisory committees like DOGE have been around for decades. We’re just saying that DOGE can’t exist without following the law,” NSC Executive Director Kel McClanahan told The Post. “If DOGE turns around and complies with FACA, the case is over.”

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