No authority | Musk's role in USAID shutdown violated constitution, Judge rules

A federal judge has ruled that efforts by Elon Musk and his team to permanently shut down the US Agency for International Development (USAID) likely violated the US Constitution and undermined Congress's authority.

Judge Theodore D. Chuang of the US District Court for the District of Maryland found that Musk had unlawfully acted as a US officer without proper presidential appointment. The ruling highlighted that the move to dismantle USAID infringed on Congress's oversight powers and violated the Constitution's appointments clause.

Partial restoration of USAID operations

Judge Chuang ordered some USAID operations to resume, instructing Musk's team to reinstate email access for all USAID employees and submit a plan for workers to reoccupy a federal office they were previously evicted from. Additionally, the judge barred Musk's team from taking any further steps to shut down USAID without proper legal authorization.

Read more from us

Muck around, find out | Musk, Tesla, & DOGE: A cautionary tale in controversial business leadership?

Although most of its workforce and contracts had already been terminated, the ruling offers temporary relief to the remaining staff. The decision said that Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team could only engage with USAID matters after receiving explicit authorization from an official with legal authority.