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McMahon said DOGE used ChatGPT to flag thousands of humanities grants as DEI-related and ordered the terminations rescinded.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.
54 Articles
54 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 DOGE Humanities Grants Terminations Unlawful
A federal judge ruled on May 7 that the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE’s) termination of hundreds of humanities grants last year was unconstitutional and involved “blatant” discrimination. In April 2025, the Trump administration axed more than 1,400 grants, amounting to more than $100 million in congressionally appropriated funds awarded to scholars, writers, research institutions, and other humanities organizations. The move was pa…
Court To DOGE Bros: Asking ChatGPT ‘Yo, Is This DEI?’ Is Not Proper Legal Process & Also A First Amendment Violation
Back in early 2025, DOGE bros Justin Fox and Nate Cavanaugh were handed multiple government roles with a simple mandate: go find the woke stuff and kill it. Fox and Cavanaugh had zero relevant experience for any of it — at one point Cavanaugh, a twenty-something college dropout whose main prior credential was a patent…
Bay News 9
Judge rules DOGE's cancellation of humanities grants was unconstitutional
She permanently barred the administration from terminating the grants.
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