Elon Musk, DOGE Ordered To Produce Internal Documents

A federal judge has ordered Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to release internal documents and plans for downsizing the federal government amid allegations of unconstitutional overreach.

Key Takeaways

A federal judge ruled that Elon Musk’s DOGE must release internal documents about government downsizing plans.
DOGE has been ordered to identify all employees and provide details on plans to reduce federal agencies, terminate employees, and alter federal contracts.
14 Democratic state attorneys general filed a lawsuit claiming Musk has wielded unconstitutional power in his government role.
The Trump administration’s attempts to exempt DOGE from the Freedom of Information Act have also been rejected by a recent court ruling.

Court Orders DOGE to Release Government Downsizing Plans

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan has ordered Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to provide detailed records about plans to downsize federal agencies, terminate employees, and suspend federal contracts. The ruling gives Musk and DOGE three weeks to comply with discovery requests in a lawsuit filed by 14 Democratic state attorneys general against President Donald Trump, Musk, and DOGE.

Judge Chutkan’s order aims to clarify the scope of DOGE’s authority and identify officials embedded throughout government agencies. The court rejected the administration’s arguments of executive privilege, finding the document requests to be narrow and not overly burdensome to the executive branch. While President Trump is exempted from responding to the questions or document demands, Musk and DOGE must fully comply with the transparency requirements.

Judge orders DOGE and Elon Musk to turn over documents, answer written questions https://t.co/LRtuOVfiTO

— POLITICO (@politico) March 13, 2025

Legal Challenges Mount Against Musk’s Government Role

The legal scrutiny of DOGE extends beyond this single case. In a separate ruling, Judge Christopher Cooper recently determined that DOGE, which replaced the White House’s US Digital Service, exercises “substantial independent authority” and must comply with the Freedom of Information Act. This decision came in response to a lawsuit by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), challenging the Trump administration’s attempts to shield DOGE’s operations from public view.

The court criticized the administration’s inconsistent legal positions, with Judge Cooper saying that DOGE has become, “on defendants’ view, a Goldilocks entity – not an agency when it is burdensome but an agency when it is convenient.” Reports indicate that DOGE has already terminated government employees, dismantled USAid, and granted outsiders access to sensitive databases, all without traditional oversight or transparency.

Another court ruling on Thursday demanded that the Trump administration reinstate thousands of probationary federal employees who had been fired.

Constitutional Questions About Musk’s Authority

Central to the legal challenges is Musk’s unusual status in government. Judge Chutkan specifically directed DOGE to admit that “Elon Musk is not supervised by any Officer of the United States other than the President of the United States.” This arrangement has raised serious constitutional concerns, as Musk operates as a “special government employee” who was never vetted or appointed to a position requiring financial disclosure, despite wielding significant influence over federal operations.

Critics allege that Musk has attempted to conceal DOGE’s operations by calling for a journalist’s firing and banning users on his social media platform X who questioned the agency’s activities. There are also concerns about potential targets for budget cuts, as Musk has indicated federal benefit programs like Social Security could face reductions based on claims of significant waste. The courts have argued that timely access to information about DOGE’s activities is essential for lawmakers and voters to make informed decisions about government operations.