What We Sought
In response to troubling reports of DOGE’s potentially inappropriate uses of USMS, which includes DOGE invoking threats to en
gage USMS when seeking access to agency buildings under questionable circumstances, Elon Musk’s private security guards being deputized by USMS, and USMS inappropriately communicating with federal judges on pending cases related to January 6th, DFF submitted multiple FOIA requests to shed light on the matter.
What We Received
After filing a case against USMS for failing to answer our requests within the time period required by law, we began receiving court-mandated productions in August 2025. The productions contained communications relating to the release of January 6 defendants prior to and following the official pardoning announcement and a Summary Pardon Report of such planning efforts.
The FOIA productions confirm that USMS was in contact with judges within 24 hours of Trump’s inauguration. They show that USMS had met with and emailed the Chief Judge to request that the judges’ orders include a provision that would allow USMS to pay for the pardoned Jan. 6th perpetrators’ travel. The documents also show that a “Department of Government Efficiency” (“DOGE”) official–Christopher Stanley, detailed to the Office of the Deputy Attorney General–managed this for DOJ leadership. The productions underscore that USMS moved rapidly after Trump was inaugurated at the direction of senior political appointees, and was scrambling with a list of pardoned individuals that grew rapidly.
