A public interest law firm that touts its connections to left-wing groups filed a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s waste-cutting plan, nicknamed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), within minutes of Trump’s inauguration.
According to the suit, filed by National Security Counselors, DOGE violates the Federal Advisory Committee Act, a 1972 law that requires federal advisory committees to follow certain rules on disclosure, hiring, and other practices, the Washington Post reported.
National Security Counselors on its homepage links to the websites of the left-wing watchdog CREW and progressive advocacy group Public Citizen, along with other “like-minded organizations.” Public Citizen is filing a similar lawsuit, according to the Post.
After his election victory in November, Trump tapped X owner Elon Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to lead DOGE in reducing government spending and increasing efficiency. DOGE, which is not an official executive department, has since recruited and deployed dozens of staffers to federal agencies to develop policy recommendations for the Trump administration. Trump has set a July 4, 2026, deadline for DOGE to complete its mission.
National Security Counselors’ lawsuit alleges that DOGE qualifies as a federal advisory committee but fails to comply with legal requirements, including balanced representation, public access to meetings, record-keeping, and filing a charter with Congress, the Post reported.
Sam Hammond, a senior economist at the Foundation for American Innovation, told the Post that DOGE is not an actual advisory committee but rather “a branding exercise, a shorthand for Trump’s government reform efforts.”
“The president is allowed to take advice from external experts without creating a formal advisory committee,” Hammond added.
Trump is poised to sign an executive order Monday designating a “DOGE team” for each preexisting federal agency, Semafor reported. In his inaugural speech, the president said his administration is forming DOGE to “restore competence and effectiveness to our federal government.”
