EO 14158: Establishing And Implementing The President’s “Department Of Government Efficiency”

TLDR

This executive order reorganizes federal tech infrastructure under the “DOGE Agenda,” renaming USDS (now under White House control), creating an 18-month task force, requiring agency DOGE teams, and mandating software modernization - though it faces potential timeline, legal, and funding challenges.

Executive Order 14158 establishes a rapid reorganization of federal technology infrastructure under the “DOGE Agenda” with several structural and operational changes:

1. Rebranding of USDS: The United States Digital Service is renamed the United States DOGE Service (USDS) and placed under White House oversight via a new Administrator reporting to the Chief of Staff.
2. Temporary Task Force: Creates an 18-month “U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization” (terminating July 4, 2026) to execute the agenda.
3. Mandatory Agency Teams: Requires all federal agencies to establish four-person DOGE Teams (engineer, HR specialist, attorney, lead) within 30 days.

Key Modernization Requirements

• Centralized software modernization initiative for interoperability and data synchronization
• Full agency compliance with USDS access demands for unclassified systems
• Explicit override of prior executive orders conflicting with these provisions

Critical Considerations

1. Timeline Feasibility: The 30-day mandate for staffing DOGE Teams conflicts with federal hiring processes that typically take 80+ days for technical roles.
2. Temporary Structure Risks: An 18-month timeline for complex IT modernization contradicts GAO findings that federal tech overhauls require 3-5 year cycles.
3. Access Authority: Section 4(b) grants USDS unprecedented access to agency systems without defining oversight mechanisms, creating potential FISMA compliance conflicts.
4. Legal Conflicts: Section 4©'s blanket override of prior orders could violate 44 U.S.C. § 3505(b) requirements for OMB coordination on federal IT policy.
5. Funding Ambiguity: No dedicated appropriations are specified despite requiring agencies to redirect staff/resources.

The order centralizes federal IT authority under White House control while implementing aggressive timelines that may strain existing statutory frameworks and operational realities.

REFERENCES

• 2025-03-20: Secret policy shift could overwhelm Social Security offices with millions of people — The Social Security Administration enacted a new policy that could overwhelm its field offices with millions of additional visitors, including freezing the Enumeration Beyond Entry program for non-citizens granted work authorization and newly naturalized U.S. citizens. This change, along with a new ID verification requirement, could result in up to 160,000 additional people visiting SSA field offices each week, potentially causing significant delays and service disruptions.
• 2025-03-19: Veterans’ group unveils new ad targeting Musk and DOGE, raising 2026 stakes — VoteVets has launched a six-figure ad campaign targeting Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for firing thousands of veterans from federal agencies. The ad features veterans expressing frustration about losing their jobs due to ideological reasons rather than performance issues, with one veteran stating they didn’t put their life on the line for “some tech bro billionaire from South Africa” to destroy the country.
• 2025-03-18: Alvaro Bedoya (@BedoyaFTC) | XCancel — “I am a commissioner at the Federal Trade Commission. The president just illegally fired me. This is corruption plain and simple. My full statement:”
• 2025-03-17: The U.S. Tsunami Alert System Is Straining Under Trump | Heatmap News — The text discusses concerns about the U.S. tsunami response system due to job and funding cuts to federal emergency programs. It highlights the potential risks of a major earthquake and tsunami in the Pacific Northwest, while detailing the challenges faced by NOAA’s understaffed tsunami warning centers and the impact of recent layoffs on their operations.
• 2025-03-17: Elon Musk’s Starlink Expands Across White House Complex | The New York Times — Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service has been installed across the White House complex, with the system routed through a White House data center rather than physically placed at the location. The Trump administration officials stated that the service was donated by the company and vetted by ethics lawyers, though questions persist about potential conflicts of interest given Musk’s role as an unpaid adviser to President Trump while controlling companies with regulatory matters before the federal government.
• 2025-03-17: Memo details Trump plan to sabotage the Social Security Administration — An internal Social Security Administration memo details proposed changes to the claims process that would significantly hinder the agency’s operations, causing processing delays and preventing many Americans from applying for or receiving benefits. The memo, authored by Acting Deputy SSA Commissioner Doris Diaz, outlines plans to require internet identity verification for phone claims and in-person office visits for those unable to use online verification, despite anticipated challenges for vulnerable populations and potential legal scrutiny.
• 2025-03-14: Bomb sniffing K-9s become latest DOGE victims – hours after Trump shared 2019 pic with hero dog | The Independent — The article reports that TSA bomb-sniffing K-9 units have become victims of Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts, with funding for veterinary visits, kenneling, and dog food put on hold according to an email sent to TSA workers. This occurred on the same day President Trump celebrated National K-9 Veterans Day by sharing a photo of himself with Conan, a military dog who participated in the operation against ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2019.
• 2025-03-14: Maine loses $15M for energy efficiency, heat pump loans — Efficiency Maine Trust has lost access to approximately $15 million in federal funding that would have doubled its capacity to draw private capital for energy efficiency and clean energy programs. The funding loss is part of the Trump administration’s efforts to cancel $20 billion in grants authorized by the Inflation Reduction Act, affecting more than two dozen nonprofit groups and agencies across the U.S.
• 2025-03-05: Trump administration plans to cut 80,000 employees from Veterans Affairs | AP News — The Department of Veterans Affairs plans to cut 80,000 jobs in an “aggressive” reorganization, aiming to return to 2019 staffing levels of under 400,000 employees. Democrats have criticized the cuts, while Republicans have cautiously observed the Trump administration’s changes to the VA and other agencies.
• 2025-03-05: Trump’s lawyers just made a $2 billion mistake in the Supreme Court | Vox — The Supreme Court issued a brief order requiring the government to pay foreign aid contractors up to $2 billion for completed work, leaving in place a lower court decision that forbade the Trump administration from suspending foreign-assistance funds. The case, known as Department of State v. AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition, was decided in a 5-4 vote, with the majority citing a mistake by Trump’s legal team in appealing the wrong lower court order.
• 2025-03-04: Congressional delegation urges Trump administration to reinstate Maine Sea Grant funding amid concerns of retaliation — Maine’s congressional delegation, including Senator Angus King and Representative Chellie Pingree, is urging the Trump administration to restore $4.5 million in funding for the Maine Sea Grant program, which has been cut by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The funding termination is seen as a significant blow to Maine’s coastal economy and marine industries, with concerns that the decision may be politically motivated following a dispute between President Trump and Maine’s governor over transgender athlete policies.
• 2025-03-02: How DOGE’s mass firings detonated a crisis at a nuclear weapons agency | The Washington Post — The Trump administration’s hasty mass firings through the DOGE Service led to a crisis at the National Nuclear Security Administration, where 17% of workers maintaining America’s nuclear weapons were dismissed despite their critical security roles, forcing an embarrassing reversal after panicked calls from lawmakers of both parties. The incident highlighted the dangers of applying Silicon Valley’s “move fast and break things” approach to government agencies with serious national security missions, as the novice cost-cutters appeared to lack basic understanding of the nuclear agency’s work, resulting in chaos that potentially compromised safety at sensitive nuclear facilities across the country.
• 2025-03-02: DOGE Killed a Government-Efficiency Team | The Atlantic — The Trump administration laid off approximately 90 employees from the General Services Administration’s 18F team, a group formed during the Obama era to modernize government software. The layoffs, part of a broader effort to reduce the federal workforce, have jeopardized ongoing projects and completed services, potentially impacting millions of Americans who rely on these digital services.
• 2025-02-28: US judge issues temporary pause on federal probationary worker firings | FedScoop — A federal judge in California granted a temporary restraining order against the Office of Personnel Management regarding the firing of federal probationary workers, ruling that the terminations were not legal because OPM lacked the authority to order them. The decision by Judge William Alsup of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California follows a similar ruling by the Merit Systems Protection Board that stayed the terminations of six probationary employees earlier that week.
• 2025-02-28: Layoffs at federal weather and climate agency threaten forecasts — The article describes significant layoffs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with approximately 800 probationary employees being cut, including staff at the National Weather Service. These cuts are occurring as climate change causes more intense weather extremes, threatening the agency’s ability to provide accurate forecasts and warnings, with some offices already reducing services due to staffing shortages.
• 2025-02-28: ‘What’s next?’ Acadia employee loses dream job during National Park Service terminations | News From The States — West Virginia native Ellen Blackwood lost her dream job as a recreation fee technician at Acadia National Park after just two months when she was terminated on Valentine’s Day as part of the Trump administration’s federal workforce reduction plan. She was among 1,000 National Park Service employees fired under an initiative led by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency, raising concerns about park maintenance, visitor safety, and the future of public lands.
• 2025-02-27: Alaska legislative leaders urge congressional delegation to avert ‘looming crisis’ from deep federal cuts — The letter from Alaska Senate President Gary Stevens and House Speaker Bryce Edgmon to Alaska’s congressional delegation expresses deep concern about federal actions threatening Alaska’s economy, including potential job losses for federal workers, Medicaid/CHIP terminations, federal spending cuts, and freezes on energy infrastructure funding. They call for bipartisan action to address these issues, emphasizing that the state legislature cannot compensate for these federal funding reductions and requesting a unified approach with Alaska’s governor to confront the crisis.
• 2025-02-27: The DOGE Takeover Is Worse Than You Think | WIRED — The DOGE initiative, led by Elon Musk, has caused widespread disruption across federal agencies through mass firings and program cuts that are more severe than commonly understood. These cuts have affected critical services including international aid, scientific research, consumer protection, and national security, with long-term consequences that include loss of institutional knowledge, disruption of essential government functions, and significant humanitarian impacts worldwide.
• 2025-02-25: House Oversight Committee Ranking Democrat Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA11), Others Call on President Trump to Cease All DOGE Activities that Endanger America’s Cybersecurity | Blue Virginia — The letter from House Democrats to President Trump expresses alarm over cybersecurity vulnerabilities introduced by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team at multiple federal agencies, including exposed payment systems at Treasury and potential access points at national laboratories handling nuclear weapons research. The lawmakers request detailed information about DOGE’s activities, systems access, and cybersecurity incidents by March 11, 2025, citing concerns that these practices have undermined decades of bipartisan cybersecurity progress.
• 2025-02-05: DOGE Employees Ordered to Stop Using Slack While Agency Transitions to a Records System Not Subject to FOIA — DOGE employees were instructed to stop using Slack while the agency transitions from being under the Office of Management and Budget to the Executive Office of the President, a move that would make its records not subject to the Freedom of Information Act until years after a president leaves office. This organizational shift, directed under Elon Musk’s leadership, has raised concerns among government experts who argue that DOGE’s cross-agency activities extend beyond presidential advisory functions and should remain subject to transparency laws.
• So this is why Musk hates USAID

ACTIONS

• 2025-03-01: DOGE’s savings page fixed old mistakes and added new ones : NPR — DOGE’s savings page updated its claims, fixing previous errors but introducing new inaccuracies. The Department of Government Efficiency’s digital “wall of receipts” now claims $65 billion in savings, but an NPR review found discrepancies in the data and inflated estimates.
• 2025-03-01: Trump administration terminates Maine Sea Grant | National Fisherman — The Trump administration abruptly terminated the Maine Sea Grant program, cutting $1.5 million in funding for 2025 and $4.5 million through January 2028. The decision affects 20 Sea Grant workers at the University of Maine and coastal ports, with NOAA stating the program’s activities are “no longer relevant” to the administration’s priorities. This move has shocked Maine’s fishing industry, as the Sea Grant program has been instrumental in supporting coastal communities and sustainable fisheries for 50 years. The program’s economic impact is significant, with advocates noting that in 2023, Maine Sea Grant’s $1.5 million federal investment resulted in a $23.5 million economic benefit, translating to a return of $15.60 for every dollar spent. The termination comes amid broader cuts to NOAA and follows a public dispute between Maine Governor Janet Mills and President Trump over transgender athletes in sports. Industry leaders express concern about the impact on fishing communities, young fishermen training, and the long-term viability of Maine’s coastal economies.
• 2025-03-01: GSA eliminates 18F | Nextgov/FCW — The General Services Administration (GSA) has eliminated 18F, a government tech consultancy team of approximately 90 employees that helped other agencies with technology projects. The office was deemed “non-critical” as part of GSA’s reduction in force (RIF) under White House direction, with Thomas Shedd, director of GSA’s Technology Transformation Services, notifying staff of the decision early Saturday morning.
• 2025-02-28: SSA Press Release — The Social Security Administration plans to reduce its workforce from 57,000 to 50,000 employees, focusing cuts on non-mission critical functions while implementing organizational restructuring including reduction of regional offices from 10 to 4 and headquarters organizations to 7 Deputy Commissioner level units. The agency will offer voluntary separation options and potential reduction-in-force actions, aiming to prioritize customer service by streamlining management layers and reducing non-essential work.
• 2025-02-28: Federal workers told once again to justify their work to DOGE | POLITICO — Federal workers across various government departments received late-night emails asking them to justify their work to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), overseen by Elon Musk, creating further anxiety among public-sector employees who have already experienced large-scale firings. The emails, with the subject line “What did you do last week? Part II,” requested employees to provide approximately five bullet points describing their weekly accomplishments and copy their managers, with Musk and President Trump previously suggesting that non-responsive workers could face dismissal despite OPM’s clarification that responses are voluntary.
• 2025-02-27: OPM Tells CFPB to Reinstate Fired Veterans, Military Spouses — The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has directed the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to reinstate veterans, disabled veterans, and military spouses who were previously fired. This reversal was communicated through an email to affected CFPB employees whose terminations have now been overturned. The reinstated employees will not experience any break in service or interruption to their pay and benefits, and their termination records will be removed. However, this reinstatement comes amid the Trump administration’s preparation for a potential large-scale reduction in force across the federal government, raising questions about the long-term job security for these reinstated workers.
• 2025-02-06: 23,000 federal prison workers are set to take pay cuts up to 25% next month | Government Executive — 23,000 federal prison workers will face pay cuts up to 25% starting March 23, 2025 as the Bureau of Prisons reduces or eliminates retention incentives due to budget constraints while operating under a continuing resolution. The decision affects more than half of the BOP workforce and has already prompted staff concerns about potential resignations from already understaffed facilities.
• 2025-02-25: 21 DOGE staffers resign, saying they won’t help ‘dismantle’ public services | NPR — Twenty-one members of the United States DOGE Service (formerly the U.S. Digital Service) have resigned, citing their refusal to help dismantle public services or compromise government systems. In their resignation letter addressed to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, the staffers, who appear to have joined before the Trump administration, stated they would not use their technological skills to jeopardize Americans’ sensitive data or legitimize DOGE’s actions. The resignations follow earlier layoffs at USDS and come amid controversy surrounding DOGE, which is overseen by billionaire White House adviser Elon Musk. DOGE spokesperson Katie Miller responded to the resignations by characterizing the departing employees as “full remote workers who hung Trans flags from their workplaces”. The White House press secretary dismissed the resignations, stating that protests and lawsuits would not deter President Trump from delivering on his promises to make the federal government more efficient.
• 2025-02-25: Musk’s Starlink gets FAA contract, raising new conflict of interest concerns | CNN Business — The FAA has contracted with SpaceX’s Starlink to upgrade its IT networks, raising conflict of interest concerns since Elon Musk leads the Department of Government Efficiency which recommends funding cuts to federal agencies including the FAA. Critics question the appropriateness of Musk’s dual role as both a government contractor and a government official tasked with overseeing agencies that regulate his businesses.
• 2025-02-25: DOGE Is Working on Software That Automates the Firing of Government Workers | WIRED — Engineers for Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are working on software called AutoRIF that could automate mass firings of federal workers, with evidence showing they’re editing code in the Office of Personnel Management’s GitHub system. The software, originally developed by the Department of Defense, is being modified as DOGE prepares for a second major round of firings, with recent emails asking government workers to detail their weekly accomplishments potentially to feed into an AI system that would assess employee necessity.
• 2025-02-23: Trump administration fires at least 1600 USAID workers | AP News — The Trump administration is placing most USAID staffers worldwide on administrative leave and firing at least 1,600 U.S.-based employees as part of a broader campaign to dismantle the agency. The move comes after a federal judge allowed the administration to proceed with its plan, despite ongoing lawsuits challenging the constitutional authority to eliminate an independent agency without congressional approval.
• 2025-02-22: DOGE Claims It Has Saved Billions. See Where. - WSJ (Archive) — More than a quarter of the contracts listed by DOGE were actually already paid, the Journal found, saving no money. For instance, DOGE listed $168,000 in savings for terminating a contract with HHS for an Anthony Fauci museum exhibit. It had already been fully paid.
• 2025-02-22: New DOGE/Musk Email Goes Seriously Sideways - TPM – Talking Points Memo && Elon Musk says federal workers must explain what they did last week or resign && DOGE Email Throws Federal Agencies Into Chaos and Confusion | WIRED — On February 22, 2025, federal employees received an email from OPM demanding “5 bullets of what you accomplished last week,” with Elon Musk claiming on X that non-responses would be considered resignations, leading to widespread confusion and conflicting guidance across agencies. Multiple federal departments including the FBI, State Department, VA, and Department of the Navy have instructed employees to ignore the email, while the DOJ appears to be telling staff to comply, creating an unprecedented situation where Trump-appointed officials are treating a presidentially-authorized communication as a potential threat.
• 2025-02-21: DOGE’s Only Public Ledger Is Riddled With Mistakes (Archive) — Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) claims to have saved $55B through contract cancellations and staff cuts, but their public ledger contains numerous accounting errors, incorrect assumptions, and misleading calculations that significantly inflate the actual savings.
• 2025-02-19: Courthouse News Service — Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) filed articles of impeachment against U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer after the judge blocked Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing Treasury Department data. A second House Republican, Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.), also filed separate impeachment articles against Engelmayer, accusing him of judicial misconduct and showing “apparent bias and favoritism” in his ruling that temporarily barred DOGE staffers from accessing sensitive Treasury systems.
• 2025-02-18: Yosemite halts camping reservations, no timetable for their return — Yosemite National Park announced a delay in reservations for popular campgrounds (Upper Pines, Lower Pines, North Pines, Wawona and Hodgdon Meadow) for June 15-July 14, amid staffing shortages caused by a federal hiring freeze and recent termination of National Park Service employees. The reservation system for park entry, which was scheduled to become permanent this year, is also on hold pending review by the Trump administration, creating uncertainty for both visitors planning trips and park operations during the busy summer season.
• 2025-02-17: DOGE seeks access to highly sensitive taxpayer data at IRS | CNN Politics — Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is seeking access to the IRS’s highly sensitive taxpayer data system, with software engineer Gavin Kliger expected to be granted access “imminently” for at least 120 days. The system contains private information including tax returns, Social Security numbers, and banking details of millions of Americans, with strict protocols in place to prevent unauthorized access and potential penalties including termination, fines, or imprisonment for improper use.
• 2025-02-15: Trump Mistakenly Fired Staff Overseeing Nukes: Report — The Trump administration fired over 300 employees of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) on Thursday night, only to reverse course upon learning these workers were responsible for overseeing America’s nuclear weapons stockpile. Officials reportedly did not realize the agency’s critical role in nuclear security when making the terminations, which were part of broader workforce cuts led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
• 2025-02-04: Democrats roll out counter to Musk meddling in federal agencies — Democrats have introduced the “Stop the Steal Act” to counter what they view as illegal interference by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency in federal agencies, particularly after Musk affiliates attempted to access sensitive information at USAID and Treasury Department. Republicans defend the administration’s actions as legitimate reviews of government spending, while Democrats accuse Musk and Trump of operating a “shadow government” that bypasses congressional authority.
• 2025-02-03: Exclusive | Democratic Senator Brian Schatz Says He Will Stall Trump Cabinet Nominees Until USAID Is Back - WSJ — Democratic Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii has announced he will place a “blanket hold” on all Trump State Department nominees until the administration ends its attack on USAID, which Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is attempting to close despite its existence being codified in federal law. This move threatens to stall Trump’s foreign policy team appointments as DOGE staffers have forced their way into USAID headquarters, gaining access to classified information and closing the building to employees.
• 2025-02-03: Elon Musk Wants to Get Operational Control of the Treasury’s Payment System. This Could Not Possibly Be More Dangerous — Elon Musk’s team at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has gained access to the Treasury’s payment system after David Lebryk, the Fiscal Assistant Secretary since 2014, was put on administrative leave for refusing to grant this access. The article warns this represents an unprecedented constitutional crisis as it could potentially allow the Trump administration to control federal payments, bypass agency cooperation, and impound funds contrary to congressional appropriations.
• 2025-02-02: Senior USAID security officials put on leave after refusing Musk’s DOGE access to agency systems | CNN Politics — Two top security officials at USAID were placed on administrative leave after refusing to allow Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) personnel access to agency systems, despite threats to call law enforcement. DOGE personnel attempted to access USAID headquarters in Washington, DC, seeking entry to security systems, personnel files, and classified information, amid growing concerns that the Trump administration is intentionally dismantling the agency.
• 2025-02-02: Musk’s DOGE commission gains access to sensitive Treasury payment systems: AP sources | AP News — The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk under President Trump’s administration, has gained access to sensitive Treasury data including Social Security and Medicare payment systems, raising concerns about potential interference with federal payments. Senator Ron Wyden expressed alarm that this access could lead to illegal withholding of program payments, while Musk claimed on social media that Treasury payment approval officers “were instructed always to approve payments, even to known fraudulent or terrorist groups.”
• 2025-02-02: Senior U.S. official exits after rift with Musk allies over payment system - The Washington Post — The Washington Post article reports that David A. Lebryk, a top Treasury career official, announced his retirement after a dispute with Elon Musk’s allies over access to sensitive government payment systems that disburse trillions of dollars annually. Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) representatives had been requesting access to these systems since after the election, reflecting an intensifying power struggle between Musk and the federal bureaucracy in the early days of Trump’s second administration.
• 2025-02-01: Did you hear about the Friday coup? — Marisa Kabas describes a series of actions taken by Elon Musk and the Trump administration in early February 2025, including taking control of federal payment systems, locking out career civil servants from computer systems, and implementing various restrictions related to diversity and inclusion initiatives. The article characterizes these developments as an “administrative coup” with Musk effectively controlling government operations through his position as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

LITIGATION

• 2025-02-28: Federal Judge Blocks OPM’s Mass Termination of Probationary Employees — The court document details a case where the American Federation of Government Employees and other plaintiffs challenged the Office of Personnel Management’s directive to terminate probationary federal employees across multiple agencies. Judge William Alsup ruled that OPM exceeded its statutory authority by ordering mass terminations, finding the directive was unlawful and issuing a temporary restraining order against OPM’s actions affecting employees at NPS, BLM, VA, DOD, SBA, and FWS.
• 2025-02-24: DLB-25-043 — A federal court granted a temporary restraining order against the Departments of Education and OPM to prevent them from sharing personal data with employees working on Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) agenda, finding the agencies likely violated the Privacy Act by granting broad access without demonstrating a “need to know”. The ruling blocks Education and OPM (except for CIO Greg Hogan) from disclosing plaintiffs’ personally identifiable information to DOGE affiliates until March 10, 2025, though it denied the request regarding Treasury since another court had already issued similar relief.
• 2025-01-20: 1:25-cv-00164 — Public Citizen, State Democracy Defenders Fund, and the American Federation of Government Employees sued President Trump and the OMB to esure the Department of Government Efficiency complies with the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
• 1:25-cv-00167 — 2025-01-20: The American Public Health Association, American Federation of Teachers, Minority Veterans of America, VoteVets Action Fund, Center for Auto Safety, and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington sued OMB and DOGE for vioaltions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
• 2025-01-20: 1:25-cv-00165 — The Center for Biological Diversity sued OMB to compel it to release records of its communitcations with the Department of Government Efficiency under the Freedom of Information Act.
• 2025-02-05: 1:25-cv-00339 — Multiple federal government employee unions, represented by Democracy Forward, sued the Department of Labor, U.S. Digital Service (U.S. DOGE Service), and U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization over DOGE’s expected attempt to access “highly sensitive data” at the Department of Labor.
• 2025-02-07: 1:25-cv-01144 — The attorneys general of New York, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin sued President Trump, the Treasury Department, and Treasury Secretary Bessent over DOGE’s access to the Department of Treasury. Plaintiffs are requesting the court grant a temporary restraining order and preliminary and permanent injunctions preventing non-Treasury employees from haining access to to any Treasury Department payment systems or data systems at Treasury.
• 1:25-cv-00313 — The Alliance for Retired Americans, the American Federation of Government Employees, and the Service Employees International Union, represented by Public Citizen Litigation Group, sued the Treasury Department over the Department of Government Efficiency gaining access to confidential data within the department.
• 1:25-cv-00354 — The University of California Student Association, represented by Public Citizen and the National Student Legal Defense Network, sued Acting Education Secretary Denise Carter and the Department of Education over its disclosure of “sensitive personal and financial information” to DOGE. The plaintiffs allege this disclosure violates the Administrative Procedures Act and requests that the court prevent DOGE from accessing those records.