A federal judge in Washington D.C. has denied a request by 14 attorneys general to block Elon Musk’s access to private information across multiple federal agencies and to halt the mass layoffs of federal workers. Judge Tanya Chutkan, appointed by President Barack Obama, acknowledged that Musk’s actions are causing confusion, but refused to grant an emergency order to stop the destruction of the country.

“The court is aware that Musk’s unpredictable actions have resulted in significant uncertainty and confusion for plaintiffs and many of their agencies and residents,” Chutkan wrote in her ruling on Tuesday. “However, the possibility that defendants may take actions that irreparably harm plaintiffs is not enough to warrant an emergency order.”

Chutkan conceded that Musk lacks the authority to take the actions he has been taking, but declined to intervene. Musk has been accessing sensitive information and causing chaos across at least seven government agencies, including the Office of Personnel Management and the Departments of Commerce, Education, Energy, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Transportation.

“Musk has not been nominated by the president nor confirmed by the U.S. Senate, as required by the Constitution for officers who exercise significant authority,” she wrote. “By bypassing this safeguard, Musk has rapidly taken steps to fundamentally reshape the Executive Branch.”

While the judge acknowledged that the mass layoffs of federal employees may cause harm, she determined that an emergency order was not warranted. “Terminating thousands of federal employees may cause extreme harm to individual employees and potentially the institution as a whole,” Chutkan argued. “However, harm that may befall unnamed third parties does not meet the requirement for emergency injunctive relief, which must be connected to the parties before the Court.”

Chutkan also noted that media reports about Musk’s actions are not sufficient for the court to take action. “Plaintiffs ask the court to take judicial notice of widespread media reports that Musk has taken or will soon take certain actions, such as mass terminations,” she wrote. “However, these reports cannot substitute for specific facts in an affidavit or verified complaint that clearly show immediate and irreparable injury, loss, or damage will result.”

The media reports in question refer to the numerous stories about mass firings at agencies like NASA, FDA, IRS, and others.

“The court may take judicial notice of news articles for their existence, but not for the truth of the statements asserted therein,” Chutkan wrote.

The ruling, available online from Court Listener, may have significant implications for the future of the country. The U.S. is currently being shaped by oligarchs like Musk, with the blessing of President Donald Trump and the U.S. Department of Justice.

The lawsuit was brought by Attorneys General from 14 states, including New Mexico, Arizona, Michigan, Maryland, Minnesota, California, Nevada, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii. Their case laid out the destruction Musk has been causing in the federal government.

“In recent weeks, Defendant Elon Musk, with President Donald J. Trump’s approval, has been dismantling agencies, accessing sensitive data, and causing mass chaos and confusion for state and local governments, federal employees, and the American people,” the lawsuit states.

Chutkan’s ruling suggests that there may be an opportunity to stop Musk’s actions in the future if more evidence is presented. However, it is easier to cause destruction than to rebuild what has been torn down. Recently, over 300 workers at the National Nuclear Security Administration were fired, only to be later reinstated after it was realized they were responsible for protecting the nation’s nuclear weapons. The Trump administration struggled to rehire many of the workers due to a lack of contact information, according to CNN.

The situation is dire, and the consequences of inaction are severe.