A Barack Obama-appointed U.S. judge has taken the unusual step of scheduling a court hearing on Presidents Day to advance a case against President Donald Trump and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The uncommon move to hold the hearing on a federal holiday is catching the attention of legal observers and political watchers alike, Newsmax reported.
This decision is part of a legal battle centered around the efforts of several anti-Trump Democrat state attorneys general to limit the powers of Elon Musk’s DOGE.
Democrats are falsely accusing DOGE of having overreaching authority in federal restructuring.
Presiding over this case is District Judge Tanya Chutkan, an anti-Trump Obama appointee who operates out of Washington, D.C.
Chutkan has set a high-stakes hearing during a time when the courts usually remain closed.
The unusual scheduling by the judge highlights the lengths the Democrats are going to in order to advance the case against DOGE.
The case stems from a collective legal motion initiated by 13 Democrat state attorneys general.
They are in pursuit of a temporary restraining order that would obstruct Musk’s team at DOGE from accessing crucial information systems at several federal agencies.
The agencies under potential scrutiny include significant bodies like the Departments of Labor, Education, Health and Human Services, Energy, Transportation, Commerce, and the Office of Personnel Management.
The expansive list illustrates the broad reach of DOGE’s operations.
DOGE was established as part of a sweeping restructuring effort by President Trump aimed at streamlining federal structures and reducing costs.
Since its inception, this restructuring initiative has resulted in widespread job reductions.
Beyond data access, the attorneys general are also seeking to bar Musk and his team from dismissing government employees or placing them on administrative leave.
They aim to secure a 14-day restraining order to pause these actions.
Despite the gravity of these requests, Judge Chutkan did not reach a conclusion during a preceding court session on Friday, leaving the outcome of the restraining order up in the air for the time being.
The legal argument posed by the attorneys general focuses on Musk’s role, which they assert demands Senate confirmation under the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution, a key piece of legal infrastructure designed to maintain checks and balances.
Adding fuel to the legal fire, they further claim that Congress has not given formal approval for DOGE, despite President Trump confirming the legitimacy of its operations.
This forms part of a broader narrative, with approximately 20 lawsuits launched challenging Musk’s authoritative reach in federal management.
On a related note, U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas in New York previously handed down a decision on this matter, extending a temporary block on DOGE, specifically hindering the department’s access to Treasury systems.
Conversely, in another pivotal decision, U.S. District Judge John Bates, also in Washington, decided against implementing a temporary ban that would prevent Musk’s team from obtaining records from other governmental sectors.
These judicial responses reflect the generally cautious approach judges have taken in the context of the fledgling department’s authority, a theme echoed in the various cases lined up against it, signaling possible ripple effects across federal oversight.
Most judges charged with evaluating cases tied to the DOGE have yet to render definitive judgments.
This adds another layer of uncertainty for federal employees and agencies potentially affected by the restructuring measures.
Meanwhile, DOGE has so far exposed trillions of dollars in government waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer money.
As Slay News previously reported, DOGE revealed Tuesday that investigators have uncovered an eye-watering and unprecedented abuse of taxpayer funds in the Treasury Department.
The Elon Musk-led DOGE team has discovered an identification code linking U.S. Treasury payments to an “untraceable” budget line item.
The untraceable payment line accounts for a shocking $4.7 trillion in taxpayer funds that were funneled into a black hole, with no record of where the money went.
READ MORE – Social Security Chief Quits Over DOGE Investigations as Musk Shocks Public with Findings
