WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday took up a Trump administration’s bid to prevent a watchdog group from seeking information about the Department of Government Efficiency, which played a key role in firing thousands of federal workers and canceling government funding.The court agreed to hear a Justice Department appeal that sought to prevent Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington from obtaining records under the Freedom of Information Act.A ruling is due by the end of June.The Trump administration has argued that DOGE, spearheaded by former administration adviser Elon Musk, was not subject to what are known as FOIA requests.DOGE, which played a key role in dismantling the U.S.
Agency for International Development, was a controversial feature of Trump’s early months in office, triggering various lawsuits.Its operations have since dwindled.The case had already reached the Supreme Court once at an earlier stage of the litigation.
Then, in a provisional decision, the court blocked parts of a lower court ruling that required thousands of pages of information to be handed over.It also meant that plaintiffs’ lawyers could not depose Amy Gleason, the DOGE administrator.Litigation has since continued.As a result of the Supreme Court’s earlier intervention, the plaintiffs narrowed their requests for information, but the government still objected.
After losing in lower courts, Solicitor General D.John Sauer again asked the justices to weigh in.The information requests remained on hold while the case plays out.The plaintiffs say the information they still want is about DOGE guidance to its workers on the canceling of contracts and firing of government workers.
None of those requests concern any communications with the White House that may be off-limits under FOIA, they say.For SubscribersFOR SUBSCRIBERSThe Data Dive: Steve Kornacki on why 2026 isn’t like 2018FOR SUBSCRIBERSWhy a wave of ‘cockroach’ protesters are defying India’s bid to...