Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk have been ordered by a federal judge to provide records to attorneys general who have filed lawsuits against them. Additionally, they must answer written questions as part of the ruling issued on March 12.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan mandates that the U.S. government must provide various documents to New Mexico’s attorney general and 12 other state prosecutors who are involved in the lawsuits. This includes documents created or edited by DOGE and Musk related to the termination of federal workers.
Judge Chutkan has largely granted the discovery requests made by the attorneys general, who argue that Musk’s actions as the public face of DOGE are unconstitutional due to his lack of confirmation by the U.S. Senate.
Following a previous ruling in February where their attempt to block DOGE from accessing government data was rejected, the attorneys general requested expedited discovery to confirm that Musk and DOGE are influencing actions within federal agencies that are causing harm to the states.
The government lawyers opposed the motion, stating that the requested material is not relevant to the claims being made. However, Judge Chutkan deemed expedited discovery necessary to evaluate the request for injunctive relief.
The case revolves around the authority of DOGE and whether it has been involved in directing agencies to cut personnel and agreements.
Under the new order, the government is required to provide documents on accessing and altering federal databases, lists, and summaries related to the cancellation of federal agreements. They must also identify individuals within DOGE and agencies affected by the actions of DOGE and Musk.
The deadline for discovery has been set at 21 days.
While the plaintiffs’ request for two depositions was denied, Judge Chutkan left open the possibility for future depositions if written discovery responses are found to be inadequate.
This latest ruling follows a previous order that required DOGE to comply with a Freedom of Information Act request, confirming its independence from the president.
In a separate case, another federal judge had ordered a DOGE worker to undergo a deposition to address concerns about DOGE’s access to certain government systems.
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