
Former DOGE official cannot legally fire Interior lawyer, group says
Attorneys representing an Interior Department lawyer the agency wants to fire are focusing their efforts on restoring the lawyer's job on the actions of a former member of the Elon Musk-led downsizing team who's now a top Interior official.
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility says in documents filed with the department last week that Tyler Hassen, a former member of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency who's now Interior's acting assistant secretary for policy, management and budget, lacks the authority to fire the attorney whose actions were protected under the Whistleblower Protection Act, among other laws.
Hassen last month formally notified Tony Irish, an associate solicitor for Interior's Division of General Law, that he was being terminated after the lawyer and at least two top Interior IT officials resisted attempts by agency employees affiliated with DOGE to gain access to a federal payroll system that contains sensitive information on thousands of employees.
Advertisement
The documents were submitted Friday to JoDee Hanson, a top aide to the Interior secretary who will decide the merits of Irish's administrative challenge to Hassen's decision to fire him. Irish has been on administrative leave since March following the dustup over the payroll access that DOGE was eventually granted.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Musk Says DOGE Hasn't Been as Effective as He Wanted — Are More Cuts Coming?
Elon Musk said his high-profile effort to cut government waste with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has made 'some progress but not enough.' The tempered assessment comes amid reported tensions between Musk and President Donald Trump, whose administration launched the initiative. Although Musk announced his intention to step down from leadership of DOGE, the department will continue in its attempt to cut unnecessary spending by the federal government. Be Aware: Find Out: Musk said DOGE hasn't been as effective as he wanted. So, are more cuts coming? Musk envisioned DOGE as a transformative force to streamline federal operations. His ambitious plan aimed to eliminate wasteful spending, reduce bureaucracy and modernize government technology, with the ultimate goal of saving up to $2 trillion in taxpayer money. In his first 100 days leading DOGE, Musk claimed the team saved $1.6 billion a day, ABC News reported. However, he admitted the results fall short of his trillion-dollar goal. He blamed entrenched interests and bureaucracy, calling the reform process 'like turning a fleet of supertankers.' Specifically, Musk emphasized that achieving the revised goal of $1 trillion in federal spending cuts would depend on 'how much pain is the cabinet and Congress willing to take.' 'It can be done,' Musk told reporters. 'But it requires dealing with a lot of complaints.' Read Next: While Musk said DOGE saved $160 billion by cutting waste, an analysis cited by CBS News estimated the initiative could ultimately cost taxpayers $135 billion this fiscal year. The report, attributed to the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service, outlined expenses tied to mismanaged staff cuts, lost productivity and administrative disruptions. In addition, some experts said the deeper issue was the assumption that government should operate like a business. They said that applying corporate strategies to public systems could create more disruption than efficiency. 'Running a government isn't like running a business,' said George Carrillo, co-founder and CEO of the Hispanic Construction Council. Carrillo previously served as the Director of Social Determinants of Health for the state of Oregon. 'It's not about moving fast to sell products or meet quarterly goals,' Carrillo said. 'Instead, it's a slower, more thoughtful process, where every decision impacts real people's lives.' Despite mixed results, the Trump administration is doubling down on DOGE's mission. The White House has formally requested that Congress rescind $9.4 billion in previously approved spending, targeting programs flagged by DOGE. If approved, the move would cement many of DOGE's proposed cuts and freezes, with Trump aides claiming the reductions focus on programs promoting liberal ideologies. 'This rescissions package reflects many of DOGE's findings and is one of the many legislative tools Republicans are using to restore fiscal sanity,' House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters, as reported by AP News. Johnson pledged the House would bring the package to the floor 'as quickly as possible.' Although Musk has formally stepped down from his leadership role at DOGE, he continues to advise the department behind the scenes. His influence still looms large over the initiative's direction, with Johnson citing his original vision when defending new rounds of cuts. Whether his continued involvement will help DOGE regain momentum or further politicize its mission remains to be seen. Still, some policy experts said that Musk's expectations may clash with the realities of public governance. 'From healthcare programs to safety nets, government work is layered with legal checks and balances designed to avoid harm, and Musk might be underestimating how much that complexity slows down big changes,' Carrillo said. 'Without fully understanding the governance structure, he likely views DOGE's progress as sluggish when, in reality, it reflects the careful deliberation necessary to ensure fairness and accuracy.' As Congress weighs the $9.4 billion rescissions package and potential expansions to DOGE, the coming months will test whether the initiative can sustain momentum without Musk at the helm. 'There could be longer delays or disruptions in receiving services like unemployment benefits, tax refunds or healthcare support, all because restructuring slows processes down before any improvements can take hold,' Carrillo said. 'Beyond that, large-scale changes also take a long time to bear fruit, so even with the best intentions, consumers and workers should expect a period where things might feel worse before they get better.' Editor's note on political coverage: GOBankingRates is nonpartisan and strives to cover all aspects of the economy objectively and present balanced reports on politically focused finance stories. You can find more coverage of this topic on More From GOBankingRates 3 Luxury SUVs That Will Have Massive Price Drops in Summer 2025 3 Reasons Retired Boomers Shouldn't Give Their Kids a Living Inheritance (And 2 Reasons They Should) 5 Types of Cars Retirees Should Stay Away From Buying This article originally appeared on Musk Says DOGE Hasn't Been as Effective as He Wanted — Are More Cuts Coming? Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

Miami Herald
2 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary has a bold take on Trump-Musk feud
Ever since President Donald Trump took office after his reelection last year, it's seemed as if he'd acquired a new bestie: Tesla CEO Elon Musk. When Musk was hired as a special government employee and tasked with running the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), it was obvious that the president and the world's richest man were planning to do big things together. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter Musk's work with DOGE ticked away for roughly five months, but sputtered in April when Tesla announced its Q1 earnings. Tesla's net profit took a 71% nosedive, leading Musk to announce in May that he would refocus on Tesla. Related: Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary sends strong message on Social Security By the end of May, Musk announced he would leave DOGE, although it would continue to operate in his absence. Not long after the departure, Musk started to criticize Trump's "big beautiful bill" openly on X, saying it contains "the largest increase in the debt ceiling in U.S. history." This quickly escalated into a social media war, with Trump threatening to sell his Tesla and cancel all of Musk's government contracts, and Musk saying SpaceX would begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately, which will play a crucial role in NASA's space operations. Watching it all go down has alarmed many a Tesla investor over the last week, but one expert voice thinks that the clash is nothing to be worried about. "Shark Tank" star and high-profile investor Kevin O'Leary posted to X on the morning of June 6 about the Musk-Trump battle, encouraging fellow Tesla bulls to keep the faith. "Elon Musk is a unique individual," O'Leary wrote. "Think about the achievements he's made and all of the different industries he's involved in that express the technical might of America. Trump wants to be close to that." "I keep saying this about Trump, and I say this about Elon Musk. Ignore the noise. Focus on the signal. It's not easy to do in the world we live in." O'Leary went on to stress that the feud should not shake Tesla investors. "I'm an investor. I don't care about noise. I don't care about the, the tiff these two are having right now. It's irrelevant. I focus on the signal. Do I stay long Tesla? Yes." O'Leary further addressed the spat in a second post shared a few hours later, saying, "If you go back to Trump's first term and even in the second term, the number of people in the inner circle, it's very volatile. People come, people go. It's kind of like a rotation. You get too close to the sun, your wings melt, and you fall out. It's not the end of the free world as we know it." The millionaire's prediction is that all this is going to pass. "I actually think these two men will get back together again," O'Leary said. "I know it's salacious, it's really an interesting story, but at the end of the day, they both have attributes that the other wants." While Tesla stock has seen a dip over the last few days due to the public feud, O'Leary also advises that the clash has nothing to do with the strength of the stock. "If you own Tesla stock like I do, you're already used to the chaos," he said in a third post on June 5. "This company doesn't just move with earnings - it moves with Elon's tweets. One post and the stock can swing 10%. But here's the deal… Volatility doesn't scare me - it's part of the price you pay for growth. Tesla isn't just a car company. It's a bet on the future: EVs, robotics, autonomous driving. If you believe in the tech, you hold the stock." Related: Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary sounds the alarm on a disturbing new trend The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.


Politico
3 hours ago
- Politico
Trump and Musk aides have spoken amid pause in hostilities
The shaky detente in the social media strife between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk is holding following a call between representatives for both sides Friday, according to two White House officials. 'He's stopped posting, but that doesn't mean he's happy,' one of the officials said about Trump's Truth Social hiatus with Musk. 'The future of their relationship is totally uncertain,' added the official, who was granted anonymity to speak freely. Both men have paused their war of words that included Musk suggesting the president be impeached and Trump threatening to cut off federal contracts for the billionaire's companies. But neither wanted to, according to the two officials familiar with the reaction of both men. A spokesperson for Musk did not return a message seeking comment. Trump was particularly peeved by Musk insinuating the president was tied to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, claiming Trump was 'in the Epstein files.' It's long been public that Trump and other prominent figures are referenced in documents released in court cases surrounding Epstein, though Trump has not been accused of any wrongdoing linked to Epstein. But Musk's boast that Trump couldn't have won without his support, including over a quarter-billion dollars in political contributions – is what really set the president spinning, the two officials continued. 'Such ingratitude,' Musk wrote on X after taking credit from Trump's victory in November. The feud came as the president and Republican leaders tried to shoulder through a major package of domestic policy legislation, which could be the biggest legislative achievement of Trump's second term. Musk criticized the so-called megabill for having a 'MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK.' When reached for comment, press secretary Karoline Leavitt told POLITICO, 'As President Trump has said himself, he is moving forward focused on passing the One Big Beautiful Bill.' The relationship began to sour before the dueling social media posts erupted last week. Trump was upset about what he saw as Musk overselling DOGE's inability to make massive cuts in the federal bureaucracy. Then the White House pulled the nomination for Jared Isaacman, the billionaire's pick to lead NASA, which was one of the final tethers in a tenuous alliance. White House personnel director Sergio Gor, who was behind that move, has had a long-simmering tension with the billionaire, according to both White House officials. Musk refused to work with Gor after a March Cabinet meeting where the president told his agency heads they were in charge of their departments — not Musk, who was in the room. That meeting happened after the Tesla founder set off a series of mass firings and warnings to government workers that in turn triggered lawsuits and criticism from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers. While most lawmakers and Republican operatives agree that Trump ultimately has the upper hand should their feud reignite, there's never been an adversary quite like Musk: the world's richest man with an online megaphone to rival the presidential bully pulpit.