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Friday, February 14
Elon Musk wasn’t elected, yet he’s using DOGE to take control of parts of our democracy. Right now, 33% of the lawsuits Democracy Docket is tracking are challenging DOGE. Know someone who's interested in keeping up with these cases? Share this newsletter with them ([link removed]) and help them stay informed!
14 states sue to block Musk’s DOGE actions, claim unconstitutional abuse of power
* Over a dozen states sued ([link removed]) Elon Musk, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and President Donald Trump to stop the agency’s alleged unconstitutional abuse of power. They argued Musk, who bypassed the appointment process, exceeded the authority of an unconfirmed official, violating the U.S. Constitution.
* This follows a similar lawsuit filed ([link removed]) by USAID employees yesterday, also alleging that Musk and DOGE violated the Appointments Clause and separation of powers principles of the U.S. Constitution. In a new YouTube video, Marc breaks down ([link removed]) these two cases.
Trump administration halts defunding financial watchdog agency after lawsuit
* The Trump administration paused ([link removed]) its defunding of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau following a lawsuit from Democracy Forward alleging federal law violations. The pause will last until the court hears the case.
Texas Supreme Court dismisses State Bar lawsuit against AG Ken Paxton
* The Texas Supreme Court dismissed ([link removed]) the State Bar of Texas’ lawsuit Friday against Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) over his attempts to overturn the 2020 election. The bar requested to dismiss the lawsuit last month after an unfavorable ruling in a similar case.
Judge drops gerrymandering claims for two Florida congressional districts
* A federal judge granted ([link removed]) Florida Republicans’ motion to dismiss racial gerrymandering claims for congressional districts 27 and 28 and gave the plaintiffs until Feb. 21 to file an amended complaint.
* However, the judge allowed litigation to continue in claims against two other congressional districts and seven state House districts.
The key to opposing Trump 2.0: direct democracy
* “There is no question: our freedom to live, speak, vote, marry, raise a family and access health care is under attack.” The best way to fight back? By protecting direct democracy, Lauren Brenzel, Rachel Sweet and Emma Olson Sharkey argued ([link removed]) in a new piece.
Will the North Carolina Supreme Court allow a GOP candidate to steal a seat on the bench?
* By halting the election certification for a seat on its own court, the North Carolina Supreme Court revealed its anti-democratic behavior, causing concern for the future of free and fair elections in the Tar Heel State and beyond. Read here ([link removed]) to learn more.
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