Public Citizen - Litigation Tracker

UPDATED  March 3, 2025

 

Lawsuit #1 — Elon Musk’s “DOGE” Operating Unlawfully

Two minutes after Trump was sworn in on January 20, we filed a lawsuit challenging the so-called Department of Government Efficiency — being run, infamously,  by Elon Musk — for operating in secrecy and in violation of the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

UPDATE March 3, 2025

Shortly after we filed this lawsuit, two similar cases were filed and then consolidated with ours. To maximize resources, we later decided to voluntarily dismiss our case.

 

Lawsuit #2 — “DOGE” Invades U.S. Treasury Department

On February 3 — following news that Elon Musk’s “DOGE” gang had infiltrated a payment system at the U.S. Treasury Department — we filed a lawsuit demanding an immediate halt to the illegal invasion of the privacy of millions of Americans whose information is in that system. The suit got widespread coverage in the media, both nationally and internationally. (The American Prospect called it “one of the most important lawsuits in the history of the United States.”)

Two days later, our lawyers filed a motion for a temporary restraining order. And on February 6, the judge issued an order restricting two Musk-connected men already housed at Treasury from modifying or copying the database, prohibiting them from sharing any information with Musk or anyone else outside the department, and preventing Elon Musk himself (or any additional DOGE-connected people) from accessing the sensitive Treasury data while our lawsuit proceeds to the next stage.

A hearing is scheduled for February 24.

UPDATE March 3, 2025

** Last week, we appeared before the court and asked for a longer-lasting preliminary injunction. We are awaiting the judge’s order. **

 

Lawsuit #3 — Public Health Agency Websites Censored

On his first day in office, Trump issued an executive requiring federal agencies to “use the term ‘sex’ and not ‘gender’ in all” federal documents. In response, on January 31, agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) removed from their websites important datasets and webpages, including information that doctors and researchers across the country use to diagnose and treat patients, monitor diseases, and advance public health.

On February 4, we filed a lawsuit challenging the removal of this vital health information. On February 6, we moved for a temporary restraining order. On February 11, the judge granted our motion and ordered the agencies to restore the deleted webpages and datasets while the litigation proceeds.

We will be amending our complaint this week, to expand the scope of the case.

UPDATE March 3, 2025

** Last week, we amended our complaint to expand the scope of the case, adding the City and County of San Francisco. Now we are preparing a summary judgment motion asking the court to enter a final order in our favor. In a fit of authoritarian desperation — Elon Musk has called for the judge in this case to be impeached. At the risk of stating the obvious, there is absolutely no cause for impeachment. **

 

Lawsuit #4 — USAID Shutdown Ignites Worldwide Humanitarian Crisis

The Trump administration illegally ordered USAID workers to stop doing their jobs, terminated contracts, froze grant funding, and prepared to lay off or fire nearly all USAID employees. Elon Musk bragged that he had spent the weekend “feeding USAID into the wood chipper.” With USAID in disarray, essential medical care, food assistance, and other critical projects across the globe cannot operate.

On February 6, we filed a lawsuit in federal court to reverse the Trump administration’s attempted dismantling of USAID. On February 7, we asked the court for a temporary restraining order. That night, the judge issued an order   14. On February 13, we were back in court seeking to extend the court order. The judge extended it through February 21, as he considers whether to grant further emergency relief.

We will soon be briefing a motion for summary judgment, asking the court to issue a final order restoring USAID. 

UPDATE March 3, 2025

** The judge has since lifted the restraining order, but we will soon be briefing a motion for summary judgment, asking the court to issue a final order restoring USAID. **

 

Lawsuit #5 — “DOGE” Invades U.S. Department of Education

In addition to infiltrating a sensitive database at the Treasury Department, “DOGE” has accessed confidential information at other agencies as well, including the Department of Education.

On February 7, we filed a lawsuit in federal court to block “DOGE” access to Department of Education databases, which include financial information of thousands of student-loan applicants and their families. On February 14, the judge held an hour-long hearing on our motion for a temporary restraining order.

On February 17, the judge declined to issue a temporary restraining order. But the case is proceeding.

 

Lawsuit #6 — Trump’s Unconstitutional Foreign Aid Freeze

Trump issued an executive order on his first day back in office directing agencies to freeze almost all foreign assistance that the United States provides worldwide.

On February 10, we filed a lawsuit on behalf of two organizations that receive grants from the State Department and USAID to do humanitarian work. On February 12, we filed a motion for a temporary restraining order. The next day, the court granted our motion and issued an order requiring resumption of foreign assistance funding for our clients and others as the case proceeds.

Our next step will be to file a motion seeking to make the court order permanent.

UPDATE March 3, 2025

** Last week — with the administration so far having failed to comply with his order — the judge ordered it to release previously approved payments by midnight on February 26. Instead, the administration asked the Supreme Court to overturn the judge’s order and excuse its noncompliance. The Supreme Court could rule at any moment. **

 

Lawsuit #7 — Illegal Dismantling of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

After Wall Street’s reckless greed set off a worldwide financial crisis in 2008, Congress passed a law creating the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to safeguard the American people, and our economy, from Big Banks and other giant financial institutions.

On January 31, the Trump administration began taking steps to dismantle the CFPB. On February 13, Public Citizen lawyers sued to halt that effort. The next day, we filed a motion for a temporary restraining order. Later that day, the judge entered an order blocking any destruction of records, firing of people, or transfer of agency funding while she considers the case.

The next hearing in the case will be on March 3.

UPDATE March 3, 2025