U.S. Judge Orders Musk’s DOGE to Disclose Records on ‘Secretive’ Operations

U.S. Judge Orders Musk’s DOGE to Disclose Records on ‘Secretive’ Operations

A U.S. judge on Monday directed Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to release internal documents, citing concerns over the agency’s “unusual secrecy” in its efforts to downsize the federal government.

Since returning to the White House in January, President Donald Trump has launched an aggressive campaign to cut public spending and shrink federal agencies. As part of this initiative, he appointed Musk, a key campaign donor turned senior adviser, to lead DOGE, which has overseen massive job cuts and agency restructurings—sparking multiple lawsuits.

U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper stated that DOGE’s broad authority and sweeping budget reductions without congressional approval were unprecedented. He emphasized that the agency’s rapid and discreet operations necessitate swift public access to information about its structure and decisions.

Transparency and Legal Challenges
“The speed at which DOGE is making these drastic changes, combined with its secrecy, warrants immediate disclosure of its internal workings,” Judge Cooper wrote in his ruling.

He further noted that DOGE is “likely subject” to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and warned that withholding these records indefinitely would cause irreparable harm to the public.

Last week, President Trump responded to mounting criticism over the historic scale of government cuts, stating that DOGE’s measures should be “carefully targeted.”

Under Judge Cooper’s order, the administration must submit a status report on document production by March 20 and collaborate with plaintiffs on a joint timeline by March 27.