New Mexico AG suing for injunction on Elon Musk

SANTA FE, New Mexico (KVIA) -- Attorney General Raúl Torrez, along with the attorneys general of Arizona, Michigan, and 12 other states, is filing a lawsuit challenging Elon Musk's use of executive power in President Donald Trump's administration.

In his lawsuit, Torrez argues that Trump violated the Appointments Clause of the Constitution by making a new federal department without congressional approval.

“Empowering an unelected billionaire to access Americans’ private data, slash funding for federal student aid, stop payments to American farmers and dismantle protections for working families is not a sign of President Trump’s strength, but his weakness,” said New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez. “Despite his claim to be operating under a mandate from the American people, the President seems afraid to get Congressional approval for his ‘move fast and break things’ approach to the Presidency.” 

The lawsuit claims that Musk has "unraveled" federal agencies, allegedly threatening the states' stability.

"The founders of this country would be outraged that, 250 years after our nation overthrew a king, the people of this country—many of whom have fought and died to protect our freedoms—are now subject to the whims of a single unelected billionaire," said Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes. “Allowing one individual to flout the law without consequence threatens our entire constitutional system. We cannot allow our democratic processes to be hijacked by immense wealth and privilege.” 

New Mexico's Department of Justice is seeking an injunction barring Musk from issuing orders to federal workers outside of his department, and a court ruling declaring Musk's actions unconstitutional.