Latest news with #FederalAdvisoryCommitteeAct
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump said in his address that Musk runs DOGE — a comment that immediately landed in an ongoing court battle
Donald Trump continues to call Elon Musk DOGE's leader. Trump's latest comments came during his joint address to Congress. The White House and the Justice Department have said Musk is not leading DOGE. During his record-setting joint address to Congress, President Donald Trump continued calling Elon Musk the leader of the White House DOGE office. "I have created the brand-new Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE, perhaps you've heard of it, which is headed by Elon Musk, who is in the gallery tonight," Trump said in his speech Tuesday night. Trump's habit of saying Musk is in charge of the group is already creating legal headaches for his administration, which has repeatedly said the Tesla CEO is not actually leading DOGE. A group of plaintiffs challenging DOGE's constitutionality immediately alerted a Washington, DC, federal judge to Trump's comments almost as soon as the president finished his speech. "At approximately 9:46 PM, President Trump stated the following in his Joint Address to Congress," the plaintiffs wrote in their filing. The plaintiffs, who include two attorneys, quickly filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on the day Trump was sworn into office, arguing that the creation of DOGE violates the transparency requirements of the 1972 Federal Advisory Committee Act. The lawsuit declares DOGE a federal advisory committee that should be subject to the FACA law. The law, which was designed to boost public accountability, covers advisory committees that are either formed or utilized by the president. An amended lawsuit filed by the plaintiffs says "Musk continues to speak for DOGE and take credit for DOGE's activities, while not being" the administrator for the US DOGE Service. DOGE was birthed out of a rebrand of the United States Digital Service — a technology unit housed in the executive office of the president. "DOGE continues to take actions which are completely unrelated to the USDS mandate set forth" in Trump's day one executive order that formally established DOGE, the amended complaint says. US District Judge Jia Cobb has since consolidated the case with two other similar cases. Meanwhile, a top White House official previously declared in federal court that Musk was neither the DOGE office administrator nor even an employee of the group. The White House has also repeatedly stressed that Musk is just a senior advisor to the president. After weeks of refusing to name DOGE's administrator publicly, the White House said that Amy Gleason, a US Digital Service employee, was the acting administrator of the DOGE office. Multiple signs suggest that Musk remains DOGE's de facto leader, dating back to Trump's initial creation of "The Department of Government Efficiency," when he named the billionaire as its co-leader. Just days ago, a DOJ lawyer struggled to answer questions about DOGE's structure. "Who was the head of DOGE before Amy Gleason," the judge asked, according to Lawfare's Anna Bower. The DOJ counsel responded, "I can't answer that. I don't know." Trump is no stranger to making public statements that create headaches for the Justice Department. During his first term, Trump's tweets were repeatedly used as evidence in various lawsuits brought against his administration. At one point, the DOJ said that Trump's tweets were not presidential actions. The White House didn't immediately return a request for comment by Business Insider. Read the original article on Business Insider
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lawyers in DOGE challenge use Trump remarks before Congress in new filing
President Trump's address to Congress on Tuesday night has already made its way into court, with a group of plaintiffs seeking to dismantle the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) quickly latching onto the remarks. 'DOGE — perhaps you've heard of it. Perhaps,' Trump said during his address. 'Which is headed by Elon Musk, who is in the gallery tonight.' In court, the administration has repeatedly insisted Musk is not a formal part of DOGE and that he is a senior adviser in the White House with no actual authority. The administration has instead named Amy Gleason as interim DOGE administrator. Kelly McClanahan, an attorney representing plaintiffs in a lawsuit claiming DOGE's setup doesn't comply with federal law, submitted a new court filing alerting the judge to Trump's remarks minutes after his speech concluded. Calling it 'new evidence,' McClanahan asked the judge to keep Trump's speech in mind as she weighs a request that Musk and other officials sit for depositions in the case. The attorney wrote that the president's speech 'conclusively demonstrates that expedited discovery is urgently needed to ascertain the nature of the Department of Government Efficiency.' DOGE faces more than two dozen lawsuits that challenge the group's rapid efforts to implant itself across the federal bureaucracy and cut spending, agency by agency. Musk's role has become a central component of many of the cases. McClanahan represents two individual attorneys who are suing over claims that DOGE is subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which mandates various transparency requirements for advisory committees. U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb, an appointee of former President Biden who oversees the case, is set to soon rule on the plaintiffs' request that Musk sit for a deposition. It would add to another judge's ruling, issued last week, ordering certain officials involved in DOGE to sit for depositions as part of a separate lawsuit. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
05-03-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Lawyers in DOGE challenge use Trump remarks before Congress in new filing
President Trump's address to Congress Tuesday night has already made its way into court, with a group of plaintiffs seeking to dismantle the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) quickly latching onto the remarks. 'DOGE. Perhaps you've heard of it. Perhaps,' Trump said during his address. 'Which is headed by Elon Musk, who is in the gallery tonight.' In court, the administration has repeatedly insisted Musk is not a formal part of DOGE and that he is a senior adviser in the White House with no actual authority. The administration has instead named Amy Gleason as interim DOGE administrator. Kelly McClanahan, an attorney representing plaintiffs in a lawsuit claiming DOGE's setup doesn't comply with federal law, submitted a new court filing alerting the judge to Trump's remarks minutes after his speech concluded. Calling it 'new evidence,' McClanahan asked the judge to keep Trump's speech in mind as she weighs a request that Musk and other officials sit for depositions in the case. The attorney wrote that the president's speech 'conclusively demonstrates that expedited discovery is urgently needed to ascertain the nature of the Department of Government Efficiency.' DOGE faces more than two dozen lawsuits that challenge the group's rapid efforts to implant itself across the federal bureaucracy and cut spending, agency by agency. Musk's role has become a central component of many of the cases. McClanahan represents two individual attorneys who are suing over claims that DOGE is subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which mandates various transparency requirements for advisory committees. U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb, an appointee of former President Biden who oversees the case, is set to soon rule on the plaintiffs' request that Musk sit for a deposition. It would add to another judge's ruling, issued last week, ordering certain officials involved in DOGE to sit for depositions as part of a separate lawsuit.
Los Angeles Times
10-02-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
A flood of executive orders are impacting the arts: L.A. arts and culture this week
President Donald Trump sent shock waves through the world of arts and culture on Friday when he announced on Truth Social that he intends to appoint himself chairman of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., and terminate multiple board members. The unexpected move is one of many — big and small — that Trump has made to stamp his vision on the arts since taking office last month. On Inauguration Day, Trump dissolved the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. That decision wasn't a surprise (Trump also disbanded the group during his first administration after 17 members resigned in protest over his response to a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va.), but the action — along with Trump's designs on the Kennedy Center — should ring alarm bells for anyone who cares about the wider impact of the arts on the country and the world. The President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, established by President Ronald Reagan in 1982 to advise on issues of cultural and artistic import, was resurrected by President Joe Biden and included glitzy members such as George Clooney and Shonda Rhimes. Lady Gaga was its co-chair. It was stocked with curators, arts administrators, philanthropists, scholars and artists. Public records show that its budget was a mere $334,947 and that it advanced a total of nine recommendations — four of which were fully implemented — during its last two years of operation. According to information on the Federal Advisory Committee Act database (FACA), the committee's purpose was to advance policy objectives 'with respect to community well-being; economic development and mobility; public, physical, and mental health; education; resilience and adaptation, as well as combatting climate change; civic and democratic engagement; and support for the artistic and cultural heritage of the United States.' There are a number of phrases in the committee's stated goals that would have raised red flags with those seeking to implement the policy objectives of the current administration, including mention of climate change and cultural heritage. But I'm willing to bet that it wasn't those things that made the committee a target — it was simply its existence as a mechanism for promoting a healthy arts and culture ecosystem. The same could be said of the Kennedy Center, which stands as the nation's preeminent bastion of arts and culture. As a tool for dissent, the arts are unrivaled. They also build empathy, encourage creative problem-solving and build strong communities. None of these values appear to currently have a place in Washington. Executive orders can't make the arts go away, but they can impact them in ways large and small. Tariffs could make shipping art into the country more costly; immigration and visa restrictions could keep visiting artists away; dwindling federal funding could severely harm small, local organizations that rely on grants to stay afloat financially; and orders against DEI — and hostility toward trans and nonbinary people — could result in a less equitable landscape for art makers and workers. It's imperative that those of us who care about arts and culture remain aware and vigilant about how big swings in Washington can affect the institutions and people we hold dear. For example, I'll be keeping a close eye on how upcoming cuts to the Department of Education may play out for the arts in public schools. When it comes to patching up the harm done, the work will have to be grassroots — one school, one program, one local theater company or art museum at a time. I'm arts and culture writer Jessica Gelt reminding you to not let your zone get flooded. Ashley Lee and I are here with this week's arts news. 'Alabaster'The L.A. premiere of Audrey Cefaly's Pulitzer-nominated play, about a woman recovering after a natural disaster hit her hometown, has become quite timely, given that our city is dealing with the aftermath of the devastating wildfires. Directed by Casey Stangl, the production of the darkly comic Southern drama exploring women, art and healing stars Laura Gardner, Carolyn Messina, Virginia Newcomb and Erin Pineda. Performances start Wednesday and run through March 30. Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave, L.A. Camerata PacificaThe chamber music ensemble is traveling with compositions by George Gershwin, Kurt Weill, Arnold Schoenberg and Lara Morciano, as well as Claude Debussy's 'Clair de lune.' After performing this past weekend in Santa Barbara and Thousand Oaks, the group takes this program to the Huntington's Rothenberg Hall (7:30 p.m. Tuesday, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino) and the Colburn School's Zipper Hall (8 p.m. Thursday, 200 S. Grand Ave., downtown). 'Wired for Wonder: A Multisensory Maze'It's officially time for Kidspace Children's Museum to get in on all the PST Art goings-on. 'This interactive maze for children and adults alike uses color, light, movement, texture, vibration and smell to immerse participants fully in a world of the senses — and to reclaim the joy of free play and unstructured exploration,' we wrote of the exhibition, which opens Saturday and runs through Aug. 1. Kidspace Children's Museum, 480 N. Arroyo Blvd., Pasadena. — Ashley Lee MONDAYMonday Night PlayGround Staged readings of six new 10-minute plays, based on the prompt 'If I Had a Song: Folk-Inspired Short Musicals,' are part of PlayGround-LA's 13th season.7 p.m. Broadwater Second Stage, 6320 Santa Monica Blvd. TUESDAYThe Music of Wadada Leo Smith The trumpeter and composer joins the Red Koral Quartet for his String Quartet No. 17.8 p.m. Monk Space, 4414 W. 2nd St. Sugarcane Filmmaker Emily Kassie introduces her and Julian Brave NoiseCat's Oscar-nominated documentary about the cover-up of cultural genocide perpetrated on Indigenous communities in Canada.7 p.m. Museum of Tolerance, 9786 W. Pico Blvd. THURSDAYDon't Touch My Hair IAMA Theatre Company presents a workshop production of the concluding play in Douglas Lyons' 'The Deep Breath Trilogy: New Plays for Black Women.'Through Feb. 24. Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave. Palm Springs Modernism Week is upon us. The event starts Thursday and continues through Feb. 23, as it celebrates Midcentury Modern architecture, art, interior design and landscape design — of which there is plenty — in and around Palm Springs. The event features more than 350 tours and programs, all of which are open to the public with the purchase of a ticket. Times staff writer Lisa Boone has helpfully rounded up a list and handy map of homes you don't want to miss, including Elvis' honeymoon hideaway. Street artist Victor 'Marka27' Quiñonez has won this year's Frieze Los Angeles Impact Prize, which, according to a news release, honors artists 'whose work has made a profound social impact, and interfaces with key issues of our times connected with social justice.' The $25,000 prize also includes a solo project presentation at Frieze Los Angeles. Quiñonez will debut his 'I.C.E. SCREAM' series — paintings and sculptural installations that 'confront the immigrant experience and speak to the beauty, strength, and resilience of migrant workers, street vendors, and Indigenous cultures.' Music-world heavyweight David Geffen is being sued by Hong Kong–based cryptocurrency tycoon Justin Sun for the return of an Alberto Giacometti sculpture titled 'Le Nez.' Sun's suit alleges that after he bought the piece for $78.4 million in 2021, his former advisor concocted a scheme to sell it to Geffen without his knowledge. The suit further alleges that Geffen's team should have seen through the ruse. A 311-year-old Stradivarius violin called 'Joachim-Ma' sold for $11.25 million at Sotheby's in New York on Friday. That was below advance estimates of between $12 million and $18 million, but it's still one of the most expensive musical instruments ever sold at auction. The Guinness World Records title is held by a Stradivarius violin called 'Lady Blunt,' which sold for $15,875,800 in London in 2011. I don't know about you, but I miss the good old days when Grumpy Cat memes reigned during Twitter's 2012 heyday.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Musk's expanding role triggers efforts to check his power
Elon Musk has seen a flood of attempts to check his power as he expands into nearly every corner of the government. In the few short weeks that President Trump has been in office, Musk and his team at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have accessed or attempted to access databases at a number of departments; gutted the workforce of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID); and helped spearhead a government-wide employee buyout program. And he doesn't plan to stop — Musk has signaled on social media his team will look into the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for potential spending waste. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said DOGE staffers were going to 'plug in to help upgrade our aviation system.' Government agencies are facing about a half dozen lawsuits over DOGE and its staffers' efforts to access various federal databases. While several focus on privacy law violations, others go after the structure of DOGE itself, which was originally conceived as an advisory board to the president before an order from Trump supplanted the U.S. Digital Service, turning it into DOGE. Kel McClanahan, an attorney who has sued over emails sent from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) that enabled it to send the buyout to all government employees, said Musk has created 'a cybersecurity nightmare waiting to happen, and it's going to blow up.' 'There are rules about how information is accessed and stored in federal government, and the reason for those rules is to protect the average American from government overreach, from the government misusing the information it has about you,' he said. 'And what Musk and Trump … have done here, and Treasury and everybody else, is say, 'Well, those rules don't matter to us — we're in a hurry.'' Unions filed a similar suit at the Treasury Department and earned an early victory when the Justice Department agreed to give the DOGE employees 'read access' only to files amid the litigation. Unions, however, are still seeking to block the move entirely, calling it an unprecedented intrusion. Nonetheless, a close ally of Musk's will be installed at Treasury Department, The Washington Post reported Friday, replacing a high ranking official who resigned rather than carry out an order to block foreign aid. Lawsuits at the departments of Labor and Education are also pending as are a trio of others that say Musk's work violates the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which dictates how such groups must be formed and managed. Democratic lawmakers expressed their alarm directly to Trump this week, warning that DOGE staffers were bypassing practices designed to safeguard classified materials. 'These agencies all hold large volumes of classified information, and bypassing established safeguards to protect such information could irreparably damage national security. Whatever DOGE's mission entails, a highly irregular process in which security officials are threatened and punished for following laws and policies designed to protect sensitive information is unacceptable and dangerous,' Democratic leaders on each committee wrote in a letter spearheaded by Intelligence Committee ranking member Jim Himes (D-Conn.). Intelligence Democrats on the Senate side raised similar concerns, noting Musk's authority remains unclear as does the status of his staffers as they pursue classified files. 'The scope of DOGE's access only seems to be expanding,' Sen. Mark Warner (Va.), the top Democrat on the committee, wrote with other panel Democrats. 'No information has been provided to Congress or the public as to who has been formally hired under DOGE, under what authority or regulations DOGE is operating, or how DOGE is vetting and monitoring its staff and representatives before providing them seemingly unfettered access to classified materials and Americans' personal information.' The White House has offered vague details about to whom Musk is accountable — other than Trump. 'Elon can't do, and won't do, anything without our approval,' Trump told reporters Monday. 'And we'll give him the approval where appropriate, where not appropriate we won't.' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked Wednesday what steps the administration is taking to ensure Musk avoids conflicts of interest given his extensive financial investments. Leavitt suggested Musk would be the one to determine when to step away from a particular project. 'The president was already asked and answered this question this week, and he said if Elon Musk comes across a conflict of interest with the contracts and the funding that DOGE is overseeing that Elon will excuse himself from those contracts, and he has again abided by all applicable laws,' Leavitt said. Musk has been designated as a special government employee. The Justice Department defines that role as an individual who works or is expected to work for the government 'for 130 days or less in a 365-day period.' The classification also means Musk is exempt from certain financial disclosure rules that apply to full-time government employees. The executive order Trump signed establishing DOGE also stipulated that it would fall under the Executive Office of the President. That distinction means DOGE's activities fall under the Presidential Records Act, which restricts how quickly certain documents can be made available to the public. But McClanahan said Musk's employee status doesn't matter, as agency databases should only be accessed by authorized personnel at the department. 'It doesn't matter if Musk is a member of the U.S. government service or a random billionaire with a White House hall pass, he doesn't have the ability to look at those files,' McClanahan said. Questions are also being raised about the hires filling out the ranks of DOGE. Marko Elez, 25, resigned Thursday after The Wall Street Journal uncovered his racist, now-deleted social media posts. 'Normalize Indian hate,' the account associated with Elez posted in September, regarding people of Indian ethnicity who work in the U.S. tech sector, the Journal reported. 'You could not pay me to marry outside of my ethnicity,' he wrote in another post cited by the outlet. Musk later attacked the reporter responsible for the story, saying it was 'certainly improper, possibly criminal' to have written a story about his employee given that she used to work at USAID. He also launched a poll asking whether he should rehire Elez, ultimately deciding to bring him back. Vice President Vance also came to Elez's defense saying, 'I obviously disagree with some of Elez's posts, but I don't think stupid social media activity should ruin a kid's life.' Another employee, Edward Coristine, a 19-year-old member of Musk's staff, was previously fired for leaking information during an internship at a cybersecurity firm, Bloomberg reported Friday. Wired previously questioned whether other associations of Coristine would hinder his ability to pass a security clearance background check. Trump closed out the week with high praise for Musk's work. 'Elon is doing a great job. He's finding tremendous fraud and corruption and waste. You see it with the USAID, but you're going to see it even more so with other agencies and other parts of government,' the president told reporters Friday. 'He's got a staff that's fantastic, he's wanted to be able to do this for a long time.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
