The Trump administration has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene and stop a lower court’s order requiring Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to release internal documents to a government watchdog group.
The emergency appeal filed Wednesday centers on whether DOGE, a controversial agency created under Trump’s sweeping effort to “streamline” the federal government, should be considered a federal agency subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The administration argues it is merely a presidential advisory body—and therefore exempt from public transparency laws.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) has been pushing for the release of DOGE’s records, citing concerns over a lack of transparency and unchecked power. A February lawsuit from CREW accused DOGE of operating in the shadows, describing the agency as wielding “shockingly broad power” with no public accountability.
At the center of the legal firestorm is acting DOGE administrator Amy Gleason, who, under current court orders, would be required to testify under oath and produce documents within three weeks.
