[k310]

I think it's trickier. He's a government contractor, despite all extra-legal titles he's been given.

Of course, he could be pardoned for all federal crimes, and may be that's the plan. An entire administration and staff free of the law, hence the "wholesale removal of regulations" remark.

Removal of law.

[skissane]

> He's a government contractor, despite all extra-legal titles he's been given.

Officially Musk is a “Special Government Employee” in the Executive Office of the President, with zero salary. So he’s technically not just CEO of a US government contractor, he’s separately a US government employee.

I don’t believe that’s an “extra-legal title” because (a) “Special Government Employee” is a status explicitly authorised by legislation (b) the law gives the President a great deal of latitude on how to structure the White House staff. Every previous President has invented a bunch of new roles in that staff, based on the priorities of his administration, and has never sought or needed Congressional authority to do so. What Musk is doing is controversial and novel but his actual underlying position (some random ally/friend of the President is given an unpaid job in the White House) isn’t

[k310]

USDS/DOGE?

https://x.com/RenzTom/status/1887038847629877714?mx=2

[skissane]

Yes. USDS is part of the Executive Office of the President; DOGE is officially a “temporary organization” under it. So the hierarchy officially goes Trump -> EOP -> USDS -> DOGE, with Musk the head of DOGE.

It used to go Obama/Trump/Biden -> EOP -> OMB -> USDS, but Trump II’s executive order renaming it also moved it out of OMB and put it directly under EOP