What is the DOGE body headed by Musk and why is it already being sued?

In one of his first acts as president, Donald Trump may have given an advisory body headed by Elon Musk even more weight, despite it having already been met with a lawsuit. 

The new Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, was announced in November but is not an official government advisory board. The name is also a clear reference to the meme cryptocurrency that features a Shiba Inu, which Musk is a proponent of. 

On Monday, Trump signed an executive order that renames the US Digital Service, a department created in 2014 for an elite government technology unit at the White House, to US DOGE Service (USDS).

USDS is not a federal department but the executive order said that it would begin a “software modernisation initiative” to improve the “quality and efficiency of government-wide software, network infrastructure, and information technology systems”.

It also gives the USDS access to “unclassified” agency records, software systems, and IT systems “consistent with law”.

The executive order also said every agency must create a DOGE team of at least four employees in consultation with USDS to implement the president’s DOGE agenda.

Trump said on Monday that the USDS is set to have around 20 employees.

The DOGE agenda is set to end on July 4, 2026. The executive order also created a temporary organisation called the US DOGE Service Temporary Organization to “advance” the 18-month DOGE plan.  

Why was DOGE created?

DOGE was announced in November to be co-led by Musk and the pharmaceutical company founder and politician Vivek Ramaswamy.

Ramaswamy has since left the body and according to several media reports on Monday is planning to announce he will run for governor in the state of Ohio. 

DOGE has no official authority and is expected to make recommendations to the White House. Its task is to cut spending and regulations from the federal government.  

DOGE executives are unpaid and expected to serve six-month stints before returning to their jobs, according to a report in the New York Times last week. They will also be classified as “special government employees” under federal employment rules.

Why does it already have lawsuits?

A lawsuit was filed against DOGE as Trump was being sworn in for his second term. 

The lawsuit, obtained by the Washington Post, challenges the committee’s legality by alleging it violates federal transparency rules on hiring and disclosure of meetings. 

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“All meetings of DOGE, including those conducted through an electronic medium, must be open to the public”, the lawsuit reads.