Musk 'has no actual or formal authority,' says White House

In the filing signed by Joshua Fisher, director of the White House Office of Administration, it is stated that Elon Musk serves as a "senior adviser to the president."

“Like other senior White House advisors, Musk has no actual or formal authority to make government decisions himself,” it said.

Fisher stated that Musk is not an employee of the US DOGE Service or its Temporary Organization, and clarified: "Mr. Musk is not the US DOGE Service Administrator."

Fisher’s filing was submitted to US District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is considering a legal challenge by Democratic attorneys general to prevent Musk and his DOGE associates from influencing the federal government.

President Donald Trump appointed Musk, who has no experience in government service or administration, to lead DOGE, a task force aiming to streamline federal operations and reduce wasteful spending.