Post by Zhi Zhu 🕸️

159d

Here is the continuation of the thread about Elon Musk's takeover of the US government.

The beginning of the thread is at:
https://newsie.social/@ZhiZhu/113934284003400421

"Who exactly is running the federal government?
...
the actual answer is #Musk
...
#StateCapture occurs when wealthy private interests influence a #government to such a degree that they can freely direct #policy decisions & public funds for their own benefit"
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/05/opinion/elon-musk-donald-trump-government.html

#ElonMusk #Coup #Trump #Politics #USPol #US #USA #News #USNews

News headline and photo with credit.

Headline: What is 'State Capture'? A warning for Americans.

by Tyler McBrien

Photo: Multiple reflections of Elon Musk
Credit: Ioulex for The New York Times

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159d

Foreign Strongmen Cheer as #Musk Dismantles #US Aid Agency:
Leaders in #Russia, Hungary & El Salvador welcomed the #Trump administration’s assault on USAID, which many authoritarians have seen as a threat.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/05/world/europe/usaid-russia-putin.html

"Musk’s comments were indistinguishable from those that Vyacheslav Volodin, chairman of the lower house of the Russian Parliament...

In 2023, #USAID funding represented .07% of the #US federal budget. In 2021, before war in #Ukraine, it accounted for .04%

#News #USA

News headline:
Foreign Strongmen Cheer as Musk Dismantles U.S. Aid Agency

Leaders in Russia, Hungary and El Salvador welcomed the Trump administration’s assault on U.S.A.I.D., which many authoritarians have seen as a threat.

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159d

Elon Musk Has Appointed Himself Dictator of America:
He has taken over government departments & is barking orders at public servants without any legal or constitutional authority
https://www.theunpopulist.net/p/elon-musk-has-appointed-himself-dictator

" #ElonMusk... has not been elected to serve in any capacity. Nor has he been appointed, let alone confirmed, by #Congress to any role that grants him legal authority over public policy or federal operations. Yet he has now seized core #government powers"

#Musk #Coup #Politics #Trump #News #US

Elon Musk Has Appointed Himself Dictator of America

He has taken over government departments and is barking orders at public servants without any legal or constitutional authority

by Andy Craig
Feb 03, 2025

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159d

When It’s Not Just A Coup But A CFAA Violation Too
https://www.techdirt.com/2025/02/04/when-its-not-just-a-coup-but-a-cfaa-violation-too/

"Elon Musk, and everyone on his DOGE team accessing the federal government’s computer infrastructure, is potentially personally liable for violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA)."

#ElonMusk #Coup #Musk #Politics #Law #CFAA #Tech #Technology #Government #Trump #Treasury #OPM #GSA #US #USA #News

Headline and text from article:

Headline: When It’s Not Just A Coup But A CFAA Violation Too

Legal Issues
from the tic-tac-DOGE dept
Tue, Feb 4th 2025 12:02pm - Cathy Gellis

Text: The hazard with landing upon a legal solution that seems too good to be true is that it often is. So as you read this post it is important to keep in mind that I may have overlooked something, and there can always be defenses. Few things are guaranteed in law, and even in the best of times it is always subject to taking some unexpected twists and turns as it is applied to real life situations.

All that said, however, I think a colorable, non-frivolous argument can be made that Elon Musk, and everyone on his DOGE team accessing the federal government’s computer infrastructure, is potentially personally liable for violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA).

What follows is a high-level overview explaining how what Musk and his team are doing qualifies as a violation of the statute, and what the consequence of this violation should be. The argument largely rests on the fact that the access DOGE has demanded for itself is unauthorized because, per statute, there was no lawful power anyone in DOGE could claim for itself, or themselves, with which to demand it. Congress has control over whom the President can empower, yet here he has unilaterally and unlawfully empowered people outside of what the law Congress duly passed allows him to do. Which means there is no power that those he ...

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159d

Federal Workers Sue to Disconnect DOGE Server:
Two federal workers, citing reports that Elon Musk’s associates are operating an illegally connected email server at OPM, seek a restraining order.
https://www.wired.com/story/federal-workers-sue-over-doge-server/

"the server’s continued operation not only violates federal #law but is potentially exposing vast quantities of #government staffers’ personal information to hostile foreign adversaries through unencrypted email."

#ElonMusk #Coup #Musk #Trump #Tech #Security #News #US #USA

News headline:
Federal Workers Sue to Disconnect DOGE Server

Two federal workers, citing reports that Elon Musk’s associates are operating an illegally connected email server at OPM, seek a restraining order.

by Dell Cameron
Politics
Feb 4, 2025 11:24 AM

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159d

Can Musk Be Stopped?
A high profile lawsuit by Public Citizen takes aim at the DOGE takeover at Treasury.
https://statuskuo.substack.com/p/can-musk-be-stopped

"Elon Musk & his goons have taken over critical payment systems at the #Treasury Dept. This is a DEFCON 1 moment for our #government. An unaccountable private citizen... acting under authority of a would-be #dictator, apparently has admin—not just read-only—access to the very lifeline of our Republic: the #money."

#ElonMusk #Coup #Musk #Trump #Politics #News #USA

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159d

DOGE Aides Search Medicare Agency Payment Systems for Fraud:
Elon Musk’s allies have been on site at Centers for #Medicare and #Medicaid Services offices this week
https://archive.is/TQaO2#selection-5665.0-5741.3

"Musk’s allies have moved swiftly to exert control over vast swaths of the #US government, including at the #Treasury Dept & #USAID They have **demanded** access to sensitive information at federal agencies and laid out plans to block spending **they** deem excessive."

#ElonMusk #Coup #Musk #Trump #News #US

News headline: Politics
DOGE Aides Search Medicare Agency Payment Systems for Fraud

Elon Musk’s allies have been on site at Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services offices this week

By Anna Wilde Mathews and Liz Essley Whyte
Feb. 5, 2025 10:58 am ET

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159d

Alliance for Retired Americans, AFGE, and SEIU v. Bessent
https://www.citizen.org/litigation/alliance-for-retired-americans-afge-and-seiu-v-bessent/

"In his first week as Treasury Secretary, #ScottBessent gave #ElonMusk ’s “DOGE” full access to the data of the Bureau of the Fiscal Service and computer systems that house the #data. He did so without making any public announcement, providing any #legal justification or explanation for his decision, or undertaking the process required by #law for altering the agency’s disclosure policies."

#Musk #Coup #Lawsuit

Screen shot of Public Citizen webpage with headline and text.

Headline:
Alliance for Retired Americans, AFGE, and SEIU v. Bessent
Share

Text:
In his first week as Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent gave Elon Musk’s “DOGE” full access to the data of the Bureau of the Fiscal Service and computer systems that house the data. He did so without making any public announcement, providing any legal justification or explanation for his decision, or undertaking the process required by law for altering the agency’s disclosure policies. The scale of the intrusion into individuals’ privacy is massive and unprecedented. Millions of people cannot avoid engaging in financial transactions with the federal government and, therefore, cannot avoid having their sensitive personal and financial information maintained in government records. Secretary Bessent’s action granting DOGE-affiliated individuals full, continuous, and ongoing access to that information for an unspecified period of time means that retirees, taxpayers, federal employees, companies, and other individuals from all walks of life have no assurance that their information will receive the protection that federal law affords. And because Defendants’ actions and decisions are shrouded in secrecy, individuals will not have even basic information about what personal or financial information that Defendants are sharing with outside parties or how their information is being used.

On behalf of the Alliance for Retired Americans, ...

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159d

Countering Musk's DOGE Theft:
The importance of repetition
https://www.theframelab.org/elon-musk-doge-theft/

"framing Musk's actions as "stealing from you"...

...unite us as a country against intruders who unjustly take our shared treasure and threaten our prosperity...

the wealthiest man in the country is trying to #steal what belongs to every #American. He doesn't need anything, yet he's still pilfering from those who need it most."

#StopTheSteal #Resist #ElonMusk #Coup #Musk #Trump #Politics #News #Press #Media

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159d

DOGE Employees Ordered to Stop Using Slack While Agency Transitions to a Records System Not Subject to FOIA
https://www.404media.co/doge-employees-ordered-to-stop-using-slack-while-agency-transitions-to-a-records-system-not-subject-to-foia/

"The messages indicate that, under Elon Musk’s leadership, #DOGE is actively taking steps to make sure its communications & records are not subject to the Freedom of Information Act, a records transparency #law commonly used by #journalists & lawyers to hold #government accountable."

#ElonMusk #Coup #Musk #Tech #Technology #StateCapture #Fascism #Trump #News #US

News headline:
DOGE Employees Ordered to Stop Using Slack While Agency Transitions to a Records System Not Subject to FOIA

Employees at Elon Musk's agency have been told "OMB is asking us to stop generating new slack messages starting now."

by Jason Koebler and Joseph Cox
Feb 5, 2025 at 11:49 AM

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