DOGE Secures Legal Victory Against Labor Unions Over Waste Access Dispute

A federal judge on Friday refused to block the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) access to U.S. Labor Department systems, marking a significant legal victory for the Trump administration and Elon Musk in their mission to expose government waste.

The lawsuit, brought by labor unions, sought to prevent DOGE from reviewing federal spending records an effort clearly motivated by opposition to Musk’s involvement in the initiative. Despite expressing some concerns, U.S. District Judge John Bates ruled that the unions failed to provide any legal justification to halt DOGE’s operations.

“Although the court harbors concerns about defendants’ alleged conduct, it must deny plaintiffs’ motion at this time,” Bates stated in his decision.

• The AFL-CIO, which represents 800,000 government workers, called the ruling “a setback, but not a defeat.”

• The union claimed Musk’s role presented a conflict of interest, as DOGE staff could access investigations into his companies.

• President Trump dismissed concerns, saying, “If there’s a conflict, we won’t let him get near it,” while praising Musk’s ability to streamline government.

Democrats have been relentless in their attacks on Musk since he began exposing inefficiencies within the bloated federal government. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) went so far as to claim Musk is “not smart” and lacks the ability to uncover waste despite his proven track record of revolutionizing industries.

Vice President JD Vance called out the hypocrisy, noting, “‘No one voted for Elon Musk.’ (They did however vote for Donald Trump who promised repeatedly to have Elon Musk root out wasteful spending in our government.)”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reinforced that Musk’s role is exactly what the American people voted for. “President Trump was elected with a mandate… to make this government more efficient,” she stated. “That’s all that is happening here.”

Polling by McLaughlin and Associates backs this up about 80% of voters agree that Washington’s reckless borrowing and spending must be reined in to curb inflation. The message is clear: Americans support Musk and Trump’s plan to hold the government accountable.

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