Appeals Court Suspends Judge’s Ruling Demanding Musk to Submit DOGE Records

A federal appeals court has placed a hold on a discovery order from U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan that mandated Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to submit documents and address inquiries concerning their involvement in federal budget cuts.

The appeals court determined that Musk and DOGE met the stringent criteria needed for a stay and demonstrated a strong likelihood of success in their argument that the lower court should resolve their dismissal motion before proceeding with discovery.

This case, brought forth by New Mexico and a coalition of 12 Democrat-led states, contests the legality of DOGE’s extensive cost-cutting measures, which include the cancellation of federal grants and the mass termination of government employees deemed unnecessary by DOGE.

Related Stories

“Unaware of the threat this poses to the nation, President Trump has granted Mr. Musk virtually unchecked authority without proper legal authorization from Congress, leading to a chaotic scenario in violation of the separation of powers,” the plaintiffs alleged. “This has transformed a minor role responsible for managing government websites into a position of overwhelming power without limits.”

In a later request for a temporary restraining order against Musk and DOGE, the states further accused Musk of unlawfully wielding immense executive power devoid of Senate confirmation, directing federal agencies to terminate employees, cancel contracts, dismantle programs, and access private government data.

In defense, government attorneys contended that the court should dismiss the emergency motion, arguing that the states did not demonstrate any imminent or irreparable damage. They insisted that the requested restraining order was excessively broad, lacked legal foundation, and was disconnected from the fundamental constitutional arguments raised by the plaintiffs. They also stated that Musk could not act without presidential approval, even if he were improperly appointed.

Musk, serving as a special government employee, has been appointed by Trump to lead DOGE, aiming to fulfill the latter’s campaign promise of reducing waste, streamlining federal operations, and cutting bureaucratic red tape.

Critics of DOGE claim that its actions raise significant security and oversight concerns and have initiated multiple lawsuits challenging its operations.

Musk recently disclosed that the DOGE team is faced with daily death threats.