White House Confirms Elon Musk Doesn’t Run DOGE, Has No Formal Government Authority

According to a new White House court filing, Elon Musk is not running the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a controversial cost-cutting initiative under Trump. The filing, submitted on February 17, clarifies that Musk has no formal authority to make government decisions, despite his involvement in the administration.

This comes as 14 states sue Musk, DOGE, and Trump, alleging that Musk has been overstepping his role by accessing sensitive government data and taking actions that only appointed federal officials should be making. The lawsuit argues that Musk’s influence threatens democracy, accusing him of causing “mass chaos and confusion” in federal agencies.

White House Filing: Musk Is Just an Adviser

The declaration, signed by Joshua Fisher, Director of the Office of Administration, explicitly states that Musk is employed as a Senior Advisor to the President but does not hold any decision-making power. “Like other senior White House advisers, Mr. Musk has no actual or formal authority to make government decisions himself,” the filing reads. It further clarifies that Musk’s role is comparable to that of past special government employees, such as Anita Dunn under the Biden administration.

Additionally, the filing confirms that while DOGE operates under the Executive Office of the President, it is a separate entity from the White House Office, meaning Musk is not an employee of DOGE and does not serve as its administrator.