California Attorney General Rob Bonta has joined a coalition of 14 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against the Trump Administration, challenging Elon Musk's alleged unconstitutional exercise of power. The lawsuit claims that Musk, an unconfirmed and unelected government employee, is exercising authority beyond what the U.S. Constitution allows.
The attorneys general argue that Musk is acting with authority akin to a "principal officer of the United States," a position that Congress must create and requires Senate confirmation. They allege this violates the U.S. Constitution’s Appointments Clause and seek to stop this exercise of power immediately.
"Elon Musk does not occupy a position that Congress created or that the Senate confirmed — Mr. Musk occupies a position the President made up. This is a clear and dangerous effort to bypass the nomination and confirmation process required under the Constitution. DOGE’s ransacking of federal agencies has sown tremendous chaos, instilled distrust among the American people, and has caused deep harm to our country," said Attorney General Bonta. "Like a bull in a china shop, Mr. Musk is wielding an enormous amount of illegitimized power over sensitive systems and important government programs that are vital to the American way of life."
The lawsuit further claims that Musk has disrupted federal agencies, accessed sensitive data, and caused significant disruption for state and local governments as well as critical systems relied upon by Americans daily. His actions allegedly disrupt billions in federal funding essential for services such as law enforcement, healthcare, and education.
Joining Attorney General Bonta in this legal action are his counterparts from New Mexico, Arizona, Michigan, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.
A copy of the complaint can be found here.