These suits will no doubt proceed in the weeks and months ahead, as it falls to the courts to hold Musk accountable for his blatant indifference to the law. But beyond his individual actions, Musk’s role raises more fundamental questions.

A White House official declared that Mr. Musk was not the administrator of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency. So who is?

The White House says billionaire Elon Musk is not the administrator of the Department of Government Efficiency team sweeping through federal agencies, but rather a senior adviser to President Donald Trump.