Summary

Elon Musk’s email demanding federal employees report their weekly work to him was mistakenly sent to judiciary staff, despite the courts being independent of the executive branch.

Judges and judicial employees received the directive but were advised to ignore it. Legal experts criticized the move as a “fundamental failure” to understand separation of powers.

Amid backlash, Musk later called the email “a test.”

The mistake has added to ongoing litigation, with lawsuits arguing Musk’s mandate violated the law and judicial independence.