Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has been given three weeks to answer questions in writing about how it decided to downsize federal agencies, suspend contracts and carry out mass firings.
On Wednesday, US District Judge Tanya Chutkan turned the tables on DOGE three weeks after Musk’s ‘what did you do last week’ email to staffers sparked mass protests.
The cost-cutting endeavor has prompted several lawsuits as DOGE seeks to slash bloated bureaucracies and eliminate wasteful government spending.
Chutkan gave Musk three weeks to comply with a discovery order that requires his team to answer questions about the inner workings of the department and turn over relevant documents.
It is the second blow DOGE has suffered this week after a separate judge ruled that the department was not immune to scrutiny under the Freedom of Information Act.
In the latest suit, 14 Democratic state attorneys general teamed up to jointly sue Musk and DOGE, expressing concerns that he is wielding an unconstitutional amount of power.
Now, Musk’s decisions and execution will be placed under intense scrutiny for the first time as he hands over departmental records and documents.
It is also a similar request to one Musk himself made of all federal employees when he ordered they send him five bullet points explaining what tasks they completed at work.
Elon Musk ‘s Department of Government Efficiency has been given three weeks to answer questions in writing about how it decided to downsize federal agencies, suspend contracts and carry out mass firings
Among the questions asked of Musk and DOGE in discovery are complete copies of ‘DOGE’s Playbook for Eliminating DEI’ and ‘any other planning and implementation documents similar in form or function’
Failure to reply to the email was grounds for termination.
Among the questions asked of Musk and DOGE in discovery are complete copies of ‘DOGE’s Playbook for Eliminating DEI’ and ‘any other planning and implementation documents similar in form or function.’
The discovery order asks DOGE to ‘produce all documents containing lists, charts, or summaries that DOGE personnel or Musk have created, compiled, or edited reflecting the planned or completed cancellation of federal contracts, grants, or other legal agreements.’
‘Produce all interagency agreements, memoranda of understanding, memoranda of action, or other similar documents,’ the discovery order states.
The attorneys general are also seeking information for ‘all individuals with authority to hire or terminate employment of DOGE personnel since January 20, 2025.’
Chutkan, an Obama appointed judge, specified that her order does not apply to Trump, who will not have to respond to any written questions or demands.
Some estimates say DOGE has had a hand in tens of thousands of job losses across the bloated federal bureaucracy.
The information Musk has been ordered to hand over will help Chutkan as she seeks to determine whether to block DOGE’s activities altogether.
On Wednesday, US District Judge Tanya Chutkan turned the tables on DOGE three weeks after Musk’s ‘what did you do last week’ email to staffers sparked mass protests
The cost-cutting endeavour has prompted several lawsuits as DOGE seeks to slash bloated bureaucracies and eliminate wasteful government spending
It’s understood the defendants are hoping to learn new details about ‘the parameters of DOGE’s and Musk’s authority.’
Discovery will also likely help to identify DOGE officials which Musk has embedded across the nation.
The Trump administration have made efforts to shield DOGE from public scrutiny, both through the discovery process and the recent FOIA court battle.
DOGE has been operating under the wider umbrella of the Executive Office of the President, which is primarily exempt from the FOIA. But there are some exceptions in which it can become subject to transparency laws.
But Chutkan argued that the requests about Musk’s involvement in high-level decisions is narrow enough to not be a burden to the executive branch.
And on Monday, District Judge Christopher Cooper determined DOGE’s ‘operations thus far have been marked by unusual secrecy’ and remarked about the ‘outsized influence on federal government’ Musk’s team wields.
It is a similar request to one Musk himself made of all federal employees when he ordered they send him five bullet points explaining what tasks they completed at work
While the government maintains Musk is merely an adviser to the president, Monday’s ruling noted: ‘Mr. Musk claimed credit for placing large numbers of USAID employees on administrative leave in February, revelling that ”We spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper”’ in a post on X on February 3.
In all, around 4,154 USAID staff were placed on leave in the days prior to and following that X post.
Musk has also been linked to the voluntary redundancy package the Trump administration offered federal staff, which a reported 75,000 have accepted.
In January, almost the entire workforce of federal employees received a deferred resignation offer that came with eight months of pay in an initial DOGE effort to reduce spending.
