US judge orders Musk’s Doge to release records: ‘unusual secrecy’
Last week, Trump responded to growing criticism over unprecedented cuts by Doge, saying they should be carefully targeted
A US judge on Monday ordered billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) to release its internal documents, saying the agency’s work to slash the size of government has been marked by “unusual secrecy.”
To that end, he tapped Musk, a top campaign donor turned senior adviser, to lead Doge, which has cut thousands of government jobs and upended agencies – prompting numerous lawsuits.
US District Judge Christopher Cooper said the authority exercised by Doge “across the federal government and the dramatic cuts it has apparently made with no congressional input appear to be unprecedented”.
He added in his court opinion that the “rapid pace” of Doge’s actions “requires the quick release of information about its structure and activities.”
The judge said this was “especially so given the secrecy with which (Doge) has operated”.