The White House said that billionaire Elon Musk does not lead the team of the Department of Government Efficiency, which is carrying out cuts in US federal agencies. According to the administration's statement, he is actually a senior adviser to President Donald Trump, the Associated Press reports, BTA reports.
The agency notes that clarifying Musk's role could prove essential in the legal battle over the department's access to government data. The Trump administration aims to lay off thousands of federal employees.
Designating him as an advisor, rather than as the head of day-to-day operations at the department, could help the government defend itself against a lawsuit. It claims that Musk has too much power for someone who has not been elected or confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
The White House statement came as the Trump administration sought to block a lawsuit from several Democratic-leaning U.S. states seeking to block Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency team from accessing government data and systems.
The plaintiffs claim that Musk exercises "virtually unchecked" power, which violates the U.S. Constitution. The Trump administration, for its part, maintains that Musk lacks "real authority to make independent government decisions."