Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin at a January press conference. His office joined 19 other attorneys general, led by Idaho, in filing a brief defending Elon Musk’s actions in taking over various federal computerized payment systems. (Photo by Mary Hennigan/Arkansas Advocate)
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird led a group of 20 states filing a brief in support of President Donald Trump’s administration and Elon Musk amid lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of actions taken by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) task force.
The brief was filed in a case brought by Democratic attorneys general challenging access by Musk and DOGE employees to personal information through the U.S. Treasury payment system. A federal judge in Southern District of New York granted a temporary restraining order in the case, blocking Musk and DOGE employees from accessing the information and destroying records already obtained.
But Bird, in the amicus brief, argues these challenges are unconstitutional, stating Trump has the authority to direct executive branch agencies under Article II of the U.S. Constitution.
“Ultimately, Plaintiffs here are upset because one set of bureaucrats in the Executive Branch have access to data that they believe only other bureaucrats in the Executive Branch should have access to,” the brief states. “This type of fiddling around with the President’s prerogatives asks this Court to insert itself into core Executive decision-making regarding policy and personnel. The President is working to combat what former President Biden’s administration identified, at minimum, as hundreds of billions of dollars in fraud.”
The lawsuit over access to personal information through the U.S. Treasury payment system is one of several brought against Trump, Musk and DOGE in the wake of recent moves that opponents say are unconstitutional. Democratic AGs have also brought a lawsuit seeking to block Musk and DOGE taking further action, stating the task force is violating federal laws that dictate how temporary organizations under the executive branch can operate.
In a news release on the court filing, Bird said these actions were wanted by the American public, as voters elected Trump in the 2024 election “to clean up Washington and cut federal waste.”
“But while President Trump fights to deliver on his promises for the American people, his political opponents are weaponizing lawsuits to stand in the way,” Bird said in a statement. “American taxpayers deserve to know where their hard-earned dollars are being spent. I am defending DOGE so that President Trump’s team has the tools needed to eliminate federal fraud and protect hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars.”
Bird was joined by Attorneys General in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Utah filing the brief.
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