US Judge Orders Musk’s DOGE-Related Records to Be Released

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

Since returning to the White House in January, President Donald Trump has aggressively pursued cuts to public spending and reductions in federal agencies. As part of this initiative, he appointed Musk—a major campaign donor turned senior adviser—to lead DOGE, which has eliminated thousands of government jobs and restructured multiple agencies, triggering a wave of lawsuits.

U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper noted that DOGE’s sweeping authority and drastic budget cuts, implemented without congressional approval, appear to be unprecedented.

In his ruling, Cooper emphasized the urgency of transparency, stating that DOGE’s rapid actions necessitate the immediate release of information about its structure and operations. He also pointed to the agency’s secrecy as a key concern.

The judge argued that DOGE is likely subject to the Freedom of Information Act and warned that withholding records indefinitely could cause irreversible harm to the public’s right to information.

Last week, President Trump responded to growing backlash over the agency’s drastic government cuts, saying they should be implemented with caution.

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