Supreme Court to hear case on Department of Government Efficiency transparency

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments in a lawsuit concerning whether the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The case, involving the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), seeks access to internal records from the agency’s operations during the early stages of the Trump administration.

The Trump administration argues that DOGE is a presidential advisory body and is therefore exempt from FOIA requirements to protect the “autonomy and confidentiality” of presidential advisers. Conversely, CREW contends that DOGE functions as a federal agency and must remain transparent to the public regarding its role in government overhauls.

This marks the second time the high court has intervened in the dispute. Previously, the Supreme Court reined in a district court order that had required the government to produce DOGE-related records, prompting the current legal battle over separation-of-powers and the scope of public disclosure for advisory entities.