Supreme Court sides with Trump administration in DOGE secrecy battle
The Trump administration maintains that DOGE is a presidential advisory body and is therefore exempt from FOIA requirements.
Its lawyers argue that allowing the lawsuit to proceed would undermine the “autonomy and confidentiality” of presidential advisers. The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear the Trump administration’s challenge to a lawsuit seeking public records about trillionaire Elon Musk ’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The administration has also challenged an appeals court ruling that permitted the plaintiffs to seek a sworn deposition from DOGE acting administrator Amy Gleason.
In June 2025, its conservative majority narrowed a lower court order requiring the government to produce DOGE-related records, finding that US District Judge Christopher Cooper had ruled too broadly.
However, according to news agency AP, Cooper had ruled in CREW’s favour by ordering expedited processing of its records request, and an appeals court panel also sided with the watchdog. The Supreme Court is intervening for the second time in the dispute.
CREW maintains that the panel complied with the Supreme Court’s earlier directions.