Judge orders DOGE to turn over records, answer questions about downsizing gov’t

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Craig Nigrelli Anchor

By Craig Nigrelli (Anchor), Jodie Hawkins (Senior Producer)

A federal judge ordered Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to release documents. The order also states DOGE must answer questions regarding plans to downsize federal agencies, terminate employees and cancel contracts.
The request follows a lawsuit from 14 Democratic state attorneys general seeking to stop Musk’s actions.
DOGE was previously ordered to release information to Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW).

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A federal judge ordered Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to hand over documents and answer questions about the group’s plans to downsize federal agencies.

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U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan said in her order Wednesday, March 12, that DOGE must release records related to its plans to reduce agencies, terminate federal employees and cancel federal contracts.

The request does not apply to President Donald Trump, who signed an executive order establishing DOGE the day he took office.

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In February, 14 Democratic state attorneys general filed a federal lawsuit against Trump, Musk and DOGE, asking the court to “restore constitutional order” and stop Musk “from issuing orders to any person in the executive branch outside of DOGE.”

Chutkan denied the request, saying she could not issue a temporary restraining order against Musk and DOGE without clear evidence of imminent irreparable harm to the states.

Other recent ruling: DOGE is not exempt from open records laws

On Monday, March 10, District Judge Christopher Cooper ordered Musk and DOGE to release some of its records. This ruling came after three Freedom of Information Act requests from a watchdog nonprofit, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW.

Cooper said in his ruling that DOGE is operating with “unusual secrecy.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Justice told Business Insider Musk and DOGE are “saving historic amounts of taxpayer money from being spent on unserious bureaucratic pet projects.”

What happens next?

The judge gave the federal government until March 20 to give the court an estimate of the number of documents that would fall under CREW’s request.

Musk and DOGE have three weeks to comply with the most recent records request.

Tags: DOGE, Elon Musk, federal employees, federal judge, Lawsuit

[Craig]

A FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERED ELON MUSK AND THE DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY TO HAND OVER DOCUMENTS AND ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE GROUP’S PLANS TO DOWNSIZE FEDERAL AGENCIES.

UNDER THE ORDER ANNOUNCED WEDNESDAY, DOGE MUST RELEASE RECORDS RELATED TO THEIR PLANS TO REDUCE AGENCIES, TERMINATE FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CANCEL FEDERAL CONTRACTS.

THE REQUEST DOES NOT APPLY TO PRESIDENT TRUMP, WHO SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER ESTABLISHING DOGE THE DAY HE TOOK OFFICE.

LAST MONTH, 14 DEMOCRATIC STATE ATTORNEYS GENERAL FILED A FEDERAL LAWSUIT AGAINST TRUMP, MUSK AND DOGE … ASKING THE COURT TO “RESTORE CONSTITUTIONAL ORDER” AND STOP MUSK “FROM ISSUING ORDERS TO ANY PERSON IN THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH OUTSIDE OF DOGE.”

THE JUDGE DENIED THE REQUEST SAYING SHE COULD NOT ISSUE A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER AGAINST MUSK AND DOGE WITHOUT CLEAR EVIDENCE OF IMMINENT IRREPARABLE HARM TO THE STATES.

THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME MUSK AND DOGE HAVE BEEN ORDERED TO TURN OVER RECORDS ABOUT SPENDING CUTS.

ON MONDAY, ANOTHER JUDGE ORDERED MUSK AND DOGE TO RELEASE SOME OF ITS RECORDS TO COMPLY WITH THREE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUESTS FROM A WATCHDOG NONPROFIT – CITIZENS FOR RESPONSIBILITY AND ETHICS IN WASHINGTON, OR CREW.

THE JUDGE SAYS DOGE IS OPERATING WITH “UNUSUAL SECRECY.”

WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE RULING, A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE TOLD BUSINESS INSIDER MUSK AND DOGE ARE QUOTE “SAVING HISTORIC AMOUNTS OF TAXPAYER MONEY FROM BEING SPENT ON UNSERIOUS BUREAUCRATIC PET PROJECTS.”

THE JUDGE GAVE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT UNTIL MARCH 20TH TO GIVE THE COURT AN ESTIMATE OF THE NUMBER OF DOCUMENTS THAT WOULD FALL UNDER CREW’S REQUEST.

AS FOR THE MOST RECENT DOCUMENT REQUEST, MUSK AND DOGE HAVE THREE WEEKS TO COMPLY.

FOR SAN, I’M CRAIG NIGRELLI.

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Bias Summary

A federal judge ordered Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency to provide detailed plans for downsizing federal operations and identify all employees involved, as stated by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan.
Fourteen states are suing Musk and DOGE, claiming unconstitutional actions and seeking to halt layoffs of federal workers, as they stated in court documents.
The ruling requires Musk and DOGE to produce operational documents regarding federal agencies and contracts within three weeks, as stipulated by Chutkan.