Being unable to answer this question is absolutely insane and completely without any precedent in American history. DOJ's official position is that the chain of command flowing from POTUS to DOGE not only doesn't pass through Musk, but they *don't know* who is in charge of it. - ThreadSky

andycraig.bsky.social • 4 days ago

Being unable to answer this question is absolutely insane and completely without any precedent in American history. DOJ's official position is that the chain of command flowing from POTUS to DOGE not only doesn't pass through Musk, but they *don't know* who is in charge of it.

Reposted from Joshua J. Friedman

For the record, @annabower.bsky.social and @tylermcbrien.bsky.social asked a DOJ attorney in court the other day who DOGE's administrator was, and he said he didn't know!

Comments

fernaudrey.bsky.social•4 days ago

It's BigBalls. BigBalls is in charge.

policyg.bsky.social•3 days ago

Honestly, some old low-level holdover employee from the USDS days should immediately take the elevator up the manager's office, sit their butt in behind the desk, and say that they are in charge. Force the issue.

demonwithglasshand.bsky.social•4 days ago

Spoiler: It was Musk all along.

screamingvoid.bsky.social•4 days ago

Hard to understand why the response from the court isn't "publicly file that information within 24 hours."

screamingvoid.bsky.social•4 days ago

You and I were having a back and forth about whether this information is inherently public in the sense of being published, but I don't think there's any question that it's inherently public as in it can't be kept a secret.

cbowers.bsky.social•4 days ago

Taken seriously this means that it *might* be Musk, they just don't know

andycraig.bsky.social•4 days ago

Ha. Though the declaration they submitted from OPM about his employment status did specifically disavow that he's the USDS administrator.

cbowers.bsky.social•4 days ago

What if he's not the administrator by title, but is the one directing the operation/making decisions. They said he doesn't have the legal authority to do things - what if they inadvertently admitted that he is acting fully outside the law?

cbowers.bsky.social•4 days ago

*pours Andy a beer*

kspi.bsky.social•4 days ago

Maybe Q is in charge?

heykeriyawn.bsky.social•3 days ago

Omg the way I just laughed. I may lay on the floor and cry next! But I laughed… for a moment… thank you.
😂😭🫠

ziyyigo-tipyigo.bsky.social•4 days ago

If nobody can pinpoint how these individuals are connected to the US government, are they even entitled to be represented by the DoJ?

gilmoure.bsky.social•4 days ago

dconrad.bsky.social•4 days ago

kentpitman.bsky.social•4 days ago

Or they're gaslighting us. Not knowing is a political tactic that (a) is hard to prove is perjury, (b) feels politically neutral. Reporters asking about news hear "don't know, haven't seen it". This kinda fits in. We need to make awareness and competence fashionable, or even an active requirement.

fredgrott.bsky.social•4 days ago

for context, they job searched for a deputy four months ago...they are creatively lying to the court since hired deputy is the action one in charge..it will blow up in their faces....

freedomfifty3.bsky.social•3 days ago

you cant stop/sue/hold accountable a person you can't identify.

bbrooks1.bsky.social•4 days ago

Shut the mofo’s down!! At this point they’re illegally infiltrating govt systems, and stealing pii.

publicrecdsource.bsky.social•3 days ago

Diffusion of responsibility is actually the key feature of modern bureaucracy, not a flaw but a design criterion for success.

shrimpmeatmom.bsky.social•4 days ago

Can’t hold anyone to account if you can’t name who is accountable.

freyjavalar.bsky.social•4 days ago

I mean...I've heard of flat organizations but come on. You don't get to claim all the authority but hide from all responsibility. I guess Feds should no longer recognize that authority when DOGE shows up. Just lock the door. If there is pishback, ask to speak to whoever is in charge. Problem solved.

nojustdan.bsky.social•3 days ago

It’s one of their many ways to skirt responsibility.

curioussteven.bsky.social•4 days ago

They including the 🍊one are all a huge 🤡🤡🤡 show f’ing up 248 years of government. Nobody seems too worried. Looking at you Dems and any Rs with a spine.

nirgalm25.bsky.social•3 days ago

It's not like they were asked who leads the bureau of engraving an printing! Is there any way to confirm that Elon Musk is not in charge of the agency without finding out who is (or that it's vacant)?

starrceline.bsky.social•3 days ago

Behavior like this is why the charge of Treason exists.

Our government is a joke, these people should’ve been charged ages ago

aubreygilleran.bsky.social•4 days ago

They couldn’t tell the court who was currently in charge of USAID!

andycraig.bsky.social•4 days ago

That one should have been an easier answer, in that they have publicly named Rubio as acting USAID administrator. Complete clown shoes from DOJ going on here.

devilclub.bsky.social•3 days ago

Complete transparency, right!?

walterolson.bsky.social•4 days ago

This doesn’t look to me to be very consistent with the unitary executive theory.

carolannete.bsky.social•4 days ago

Well, Steven Miller says that Trump is in charge of everything, so apparently it doesn't matter if there's anyone just down the chain who's in charge of a particular agency!

dennisdoubleday.bsky.social•4 days ago

"The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command." George Orwell

cathygellis.bsky.social•4 days ago

The DOJ doesn't know who it's client is, and may not be properly representing them - seems like perhaps it should be directly challenged.

subtlefire.bsky.social•4 days ago

then we need to shut it down until we figure out what's going on

sielulintu.bsky.social•3 days ago

Underrated post.

caesar-stan.bsky.social•4 days ago

Everyone is operating under Fuhrerprinzip, with no direct orders or traceable chain of command, just carrying out what they believe is the will of the leader.

jazzhandmedowns.bsky.social•4 days ago

So DOJ is telling the court that in the event that the court gives an order to DOGE, they don't know who to provide that order TO?

gm0rk.bsky.social•4 days ago

Also seems unethical that the DoJ apparently hasn't conferred w its client and presumably doesn't have sign off from DOGE for any representations or actions.

figgityfigs.bsky.social•3 days ago

Probably give it to Big Balls and let him sort it out.

hoodiecraw.bsky.social•4 days ago

Implausible deniabilty...
At least that is new!

andycraig.bsky.social•4 days ago

They're trying to deny the obvious reality that Trump has said Musk is in charge of it, Musk has said and is acting as if he's in charge of it, and numerous other White House statements have also said it. But the answer they've come up with here is *worse* than admitting it's Musk. Insanely worse.

dbpublisher.bsky.social•4 days ago

Breaking: White House releases picture of their head of DOGE:

andycraig.bsky.social•4 days ago

The apparent reality is USDS Administrator has been vacant since Jan 20, w/o even an acting appointee, and DOGE is running around doing all this without anybody at all legally in charge of them. That would amount to not really being part of the government! It's saying POTUS has no control over them!

westsidewitch.bsky.social•4 days ago

Would this shield the so-called agency from FOIA? Can't get over the "nothing to see here" here.

kylerich035.bsky.social•4 days ago

To be fair I don’t think that he does have control over them.

mzfreud.bsky.social•4 days ago

youtackything.bsky.social•4 days ago

I mean, no judge is going to buy this, right?

mseraphimsl.bsky.social•4 days ago

Well yeah. If he had control over them there would need to be a senate confirmed administrator.
🤷‍♂️
I never thought I would see a case that has a defendant John Doe in his official capacity of Director of DOGE, but we're nearly there. This is just bizarre.

rilene.bsky.social•4 days ago

nwgarcia.bsky.social•4 days ago

I guess I simply don't understand what the DOGE staffers say when they get to a government building. What actually happens when they show up? Who do *they* say they work for that gets them access?

nwgarcia.bsky.social•4 days ago

I thought some are nominally employed by Treasury, but how does that get them into all these other depts? And if that's true, why isn't Bessent saying he's responsible? Why do they say they work for Musk? And if they don't work for Treasury why haven't they been arrested for trespassing?

harendt.bsky.social•4 days ago

This ⬆️. How can our govt be SO easy to infiltrate?

nwgarcia.bsky.social•4 days ago

It feels like a major failure of reporting that I read articles about these raids they make, but I have no clear idea what is actually taking place or what normal procedure would even be for someone from Treasury or whatever to show up to NOAA etc and say "I need to see your computer system."

joshrosenau.org•4 days ago

My understanding is that they are USDS staff, with memos (and IIRC statutory authority) authorizing them to do IT work in other departments. They show up, and if anyone objects, political appointees in the official chain of command order them to comply. But it’s all super sketchy!

carynrose.bsky.social•4 days ago

part of it is that they are showing up with private security that is fairly hefty (at least according to an eyewitness post i read via a reliable source who was talking about what happened when Elon's kids showed up at the World Bank and tried to get in)

cmdoran.bsky.social•4 days ago

Maybe he is the coffee boy.

rob-reiner-fan.bsky.social•4 days ago

Trump is not a puppet of Musk. Musk is his chaos-loving hatchet man, dismantling government. Trump is too lazy and unintelligent to do it himself.

sgeez.bsky.social•4 days ago

End theco,up

lizlemony.bsky.social•4 days ago

Great! No part then no access etc!!!

angusbass.bsky.social•4 days ago

The whole thing is as I feared, the R’s wanna gut gov’t but were aware they would lose any election if they did. So, they have the unaccountable unelected guy do it and then can yell “there was nothing we could do blame somebody else!” Then run saying dems want to put everyone in WOKE camps or such.

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