Ronald Satish Emrit has filed a lawsuit against high-profile figures, including Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, in the United States District Court for the District of Eastern Texas on January 10, 2025. The complaint accuses these defendants of civil rights violations and interference with business relations, seeking an astronomical $500 billion in damages.
The plaintiff, Ronald Satish Emrit, a self-represented presidential candidate and resident of Florida and Maryland, alleges that the defendants' actions are set to drastically impact the lives of impoverished Americans. Emrit's lawsuit targets Elon Musk, owner of companies like SpaceX and Tesla; Vivek Ramaswamy, associated with pharmaceutical ventures; Speaker of the House Mike Johnson; and a non-existent entity named the Department of Government Efficiency. According to Emrit, these parties are conspiring to implement significant budget cuts totaling one trillion dollars. He claims this would adversely affect welfare programs such as EBT/SNAP benefits and Section 8 housing vouchers that many African-Americans rely on.
Emrit argues that these proposed budget reductions violate several constitutional protections. "The defendants are violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964," he asserts in his complaint. He further accuses them of infringing upon the Equal Protection Clause and Due Process Clause under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments by targeting essential social services that support underprivileged communities across racial lines.
In his filing, Emrit also contends that these budgetary measures breach other legal provisions such as the Privileges and Immunities Clause and the Fourth Amendment right to privacy. Moreover, he argues that they undermine First Amendment freedoms by restricting association through financial constraints imposed on public assistance programs.
Seeking redress from the court, Emrit requests both punitive and compensatory damages amounting to $500 billion. Additionally, he seeks injunctions against various actions by the defendants. These include preventing Elon Musk from alleged foreign election interference due to his South African origins and stopping any attempts by former President Donald Trump to establish a new governmental department without proper Senate confirmation.
The case is being overseen by Magistrate Judges Karen Wells Roby, Janis Van Meerveld, or Donna Phillips Currault as potential authorities for process service authorization. The plaintiff also calls for criminal referrals against Musk for purported election meddling activities.
Representing himself pro se in this ambitious legal battle is Ronald Satish Emrit from Sarasota, Florida. The case has been filed under Case ID 2:25-cv-00271-NJB-DPC at Jack Brooks Federal Building in Beaumont, Texas.