Judge Strikes Down DOGE's ChatGPT-Led Mass Termination of NEH Grants
McMahon said DOGE used ChatGPT to flag thousands of humanities grants as DEI-related and ordered the terminations rescinded.
- On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon ruled the Department of Government Efficiency's mass cancellation of more than 1,400 NEH grants was "unlawful" and "unconstitutional," permanently barring the administration from enforcing the terminations.
- DOGE terminated the grants in April 2025, prompting The Authors Guild to sue, arguing the executive branch "has no constitutional authority" to block spending based on the president's policy preferences.
- Judge McMahon criticized the government's use of ChatGPT to identify "DEI" projects, noting the AI wrongly flagged an anthology titled "In the Shadow of the Holocaust" as a target for elimination.
- McMahon issued a permanent injunction ordering the rescission of termination notices, stating "Defendants are permanently enjoined from enforcing or giving effect to the Mass Termination" of NEH grants.
- The decision reaffirms Congress's 60-year commitment to the humanities, as McMahon wrote the public has a strong interest in ensuring federal officials act within the bounds set by the Constitution.
76 Articles
76 Articles
Judge rules DOGE used ChatGPT in a way that was both dumb and illegal
The Department of Government Efficiency's cancellation of over $100 million in grants was unconstitutional, according to a ruling on Thursday. In the 143-page decision, US District Judge Colleen McMahon cites DOGE's process for eliminating grants, which involved using ChatGPT to determine if something is related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The ruling, which stems from a 2025 lawsuit filed by humanities groups, says "it could not b…
Federal Judge Rules to Restore National Endowment for the Humanities Funding in Historic Case
Statements from American Council of Learned Societies, American Historical Association, and Modern Language Association on the Ruling May 8, 2026 – Yesterday afternoon US District Judge Colleen McMahon ruled that the mass termination by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) of more than 1,400 grants to support scholars, research institutions, and humanities organizations was “unlawful, unconstitutional, ultra vires, and without legal…
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