Michigan AG Nessel: Musk’s DOGE Violates the Constitution
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said Thursday on CNN’s OutFront that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is both illegal and unconstitutional.
Host Erin Burnett noted, “Tonight, 14 states have filed a lawsuit against DOGE, arguing that Elon Musk’s role in the Trump administration violates the Constitution.”
Nessel responded, “It’s a blatant violation of the Appointments Clause. The U.S. Constitution grants the president the power—with Senate approval—to appoint cabinet secretaries and agency directors. But Musk, operating under DOGE, which falls under the Office of Management and Budget, has no such authority.”
She continued, “He was never confirmed by the Senate, lacks security clearance, and hasn’t filed a financial disclosure report. No conflict-of-interest vetting has taken place—none of the standard procedures were followed. Yet he’s been granted access to multiple agencies, collecting data, personal information, even state secrets. No one knows what he’s doing with it all. It’s illegal, it’s unconstitutional, and we’re urging the courts to shut it down immediately.”