Today, Attorney General Dan Rayfield, along with 11 other attorneys general, filed a lawsuit challenging the unlawful delegation of executive power to Elon Musk. The lawsuit argues that President Trump has exceeded his authority and violated the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution, by creating a new federal department without Congressional approval. This granted Musk sweeping powers over the entire federal government without seeking the Senate’s consent for Musk’s appointment.
“Elon Musk’s attempt to demolish key government systems has thrown everything into chaos,” said Rayfield. “This power grab puts people’s privacy and security at risk. No one should be able to mess with the systems that keep our country running.”
The lawsuit highlights how Musk has unraveled federal agencies, accessed sensitive data, and caused widespread disruption for state and local governments, federal employees, and the American people. The actions by the Trump administration and Musk have put billions of dollars in federal funding at risk for law enforcement, healthcare, education, and other critical services.
Beyond that, the reckless expansion of the authority of Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” endangers cybersecurity and erodes public trust. DOGE operatives have reportedly accessed federal financial databases containing sensitive state tax records and banking information without proper oversight, increasing the risk of cyberattacks, data breaches, and foreign exploitation.
“These are the systems that keep our communities strong. We’re standing up to protect Oregonians and to ensure these vital programs stay under the control of the people, and not in the hands of the president’s designated hatchet man,” said Rayfield.
AG Rayfield seeks a court ruling declaring Musk’s actions unconstitutional and an injunction barring him from issuing orders to any person in the Executive Branch outside of DOGE, as well as invalidating his previous actions.
The lawsuit was filed today in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Joining with Oregon in this lawsuit are Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Washington, and Vermont.
