Musk has moved with lightning speed to try to remake the federal government. Many Democrats and even some Republicans say his efforts are unlawful.

As Elon Musk and DOGE take control of parts of the government, it's going to take lawsuits (or a reluctant Congress) to enforce the law.

The investigation also found a common thread linking a few of these young recruits: billionaire Peter Thiel. Some of them have connections to the tech mogul's fellowship program, with his influence in the libertarian-leaning tech and political world having grown in recent years.