Federal judge orders Elon Musk's DOGE to reveal government plan and identity all employees
For the past two months, the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has operated in privacy under President Donald Trump and his 'close ally' Elon Musk's instructions.
This hidden approach will now end, as a federal judge appointed by former President Barack Obama has directed the Tesla CEO to disclose DOGE's governmental strategy and list all its staff members.
US District Judge Tanya Chutkan has instructed the Tesla CEO to supply specific details about his government activities. This order comes as 14 Democratic state attorney generals sue Trump, Musk, and DOGE, alleging Musk is using power unconstitutionally, according to Politico.
DOGE has 21 days to deliver the requested information to Chutkan, which she will use to determine whether to completely halt DOGE's functions.
The eight-page legal document contained six questions. The first states: "Identify every individual who has served as DOGE Administrator or as the functional head of DOGE, including in an acting capacity, since January 20, 2025, and the dates served in that capacity. As part of this response, identify all individuals with authority to hire or terminate employment of DOGE personnel since January 20, 2025."
The document also includes requests for admission, such as: "Admit that Elon Musk is not supervised by any Officer of the United States other than the President of the United States."
Although not elected by citizens, Musk has led this new government section alongside former Republican presidential candidate and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy. Their goal is to improve US government efficiency through plans to cut thousands of positions and significantly reduce salary expenses. Once they complete their task, they have promised to dissolve the department - setting a finish date no later than July 4, 2026... Independence Day next year.
As Trump explains, their main goal is to 'dismantle government bureaucracy, cut unnecessary regulations, reduce wasteful spending, and reorganize federal agencies'. The program has already conducted widespread terminations nationwide, supervised the elimination of diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and made substantial reductions to the Department of Education.
Moreover, 1,600 staff members at USAID, which represents the United States Agency for International Development, have been dismissed, and an additional 4,200 employees have been put on furlough. DOGE aims to shrink the workforce from approximately 10,000 staff to about 500.
