E-Paper
Democrats launch whistleblowers' platform in pushback against Elon Musk's purge
Musk has been tasked by Trump to slash the size of the federal workforce as part of claimed efforts to save expenses his administration considers as “waste”.
The Democratic party in the United States announced a new platform for whistleblowers as part of their pushback efforts against President Donald Trump's “efficiency czar” Elon Musk's administrative crackdown to slash, what he claims as, unwanted federal expenditure and 'fraud.
Musk is heading the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). He been tasked by Trump to slash the size of the federal workforce as part of claimed efforts to save expenses his administration considers as “waste”.
Also read | Explainer: What is USAID? The US foreign aid agency that Elon Musk branded as ‘criminal organisation’
Taking a dig at the world's richest man, Democrats said the efforts of whistleblowers would be “invaluable” in the mission to hold those undermining democracy to account.
“In the first three weeks of his administration, President Trump has shown a blatant disregard for the rule of law and a callousness for the American people,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said in a joint statement with a lieutenant, Gary Peters.
“From the DOGE takeover of the Treasury Department to the federal funding freeze, this administration has wreaked havoc on programs that American families, seniors, students, veterans, and others have come to depend upon,” they said.
Musk leads crackdown
Musk, described by the White House as a “special government employee”, has cracked down on the US Agency for International Development, which he described as a ‘criminal organisation’.
More than 2,000 US Agency for International Development employees were set to be sent on leave by last Friday after Musk's crackdown on the aid agency. The move was suspended by US District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee.
The agency was investigating its relationship with Musk's company Starlink before the billionaire began to target it.
Also read | Oxfam says Musk backing Trump is the ‘crown jewel of global oligarchies’
Lawsuits have also been filed against Musk's move to seek confidential information in computer systems at various government agencies. A New York judge temporarily blocked DOGE-affiliated officials from accessing some data pending a hearing in the coming days.
More than 40 lawsuits have been filed across various US courts challenging contentious moves by the Trump administration, Bloomberg reported. Judges in Maryland and Washington state have blocked Trump's move to restrict birthright citizenship. The Justice Department has appealed the ruling from Washington, a move that could potentially reach the US Supreme Court.
Critics cited by AFP said that much of Musk's actions is illegal, as it bypasses the oversight powers given to the US Congress by the American Constitution.
(With AFP inputs)
