Washington, D.C. – A federal court on Tuesday ordered the government to disclose more sworn information in a case challenging agencies in the Trump-Vance administration’s granting unlawful access to “some of the most personal information individuals entrust to the government” to the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The order comes in AFL-CIO et al. v. Department of Labor, a case brought by the labor unions American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME), American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Communications Workers of America (CWA), and American Federation of Teachers (AFT)—alongside the Economic Policy Institute, Virginia Poverty Law Center, and Economic Action Maryland Fund. The coalition is represented by Democracy Forward in the case.
This case previously marked the first time a court granted discovery into DOGE’s access to federal data systems, shedding light on the scale and secrecy of its operations. This ruling clears the path to more investigation that will allow the labor unions to demonstrate the depth of the administration’s lawlessness.
“DOGE may have slunk away from the spotlight, but the damage Elon Musk and his team wrought continues. We will continue to expose DOGE’s ongoing wrongdoing and use every legal tool available to hold this administration accountable for the damage that politically motivated operatives with no legal authority have caused to harm people in America,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “We are pleased the court affirmed our clients’ standing and are looking forward to continuing to litigate this case.”
The legal team at Democracy Forward includes Mark Samburg, Aman George, Rachel Homer, Robin Thurston, and Skye Perryman.
Read the ruling here and learn more about the case here.
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Democracy Forward Foundation is a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy, public education, and regulatory engagement. For more information, please visit www.democracyforward.org
