Huge federal court case slaps Democrats with a crushing defeat
The Left is trying to obstruct any amount of change. But they’re crashing and burning.
Now a huge federal court case slapped Democrats with a crushing defeat.
Federal Judge Sides with Elon Musk’s Government Efficiency Team in Key Battle Over Agency Access
In a major victory for government accountability, a federal judge in Washington on Friday denied a desperate attempt by unions and Left-wing nonprofits to block Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing critical records from three federal agencies.
The unions, backed by the usual activist crowd, tried to stop DOGE from obtaining records from the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — agencies long known for their bloated bureaucracies and cozy ties to Democrat power players.
U.S. District Judge John Bates, a George W. Bush appointee, sided with the government’s classification of DOGE as a federal agency, allowing it to deploy its staff to other departments to root out waste.
But Bates acknowledged the government’s shifting stance, calling it a “close question” and noting the hypocrisy of Democrats’ legal arguments. While the government wanted DOGE to count as an agency to limit its powers, they also wanted to dodge transparency laws that would open their own actions to scrutiny.
In his ruling, Bates criticized the double standard: “DOGE was a ‘Goldilocks entity: not an agency when it is burdensome but an agency when it is convenient.'”
“Plaintiffs have not shown a substantial likelihood that [DOGE] is not an agency. If that is so, [DOGE] may detail its employees to other agencies consistent with the Economy Act,” he wrote.
Musk and Trump’s Mission to Clean Up Washington
DOGE, created by executive order as a centerpiece of President Donald Trump’s reelection promises, is on a mission to cut through wasteful spending and government inefficiency. The temporary agency, reporting directly to the White House chief of staff, has 18 months to overhaul federal operations — something the bloated D.C. establishment clearly fears.
The Justice Department has maintained that DOGE staffers are legitimate federal employees under the Economy Act, giving them full rights to access agency information.
Elon Musk celebrated the court win on X with his signature flair, reposting the news with the caption: “LFG”—short for “Let’s f—ing go.”
Judge Highlights Bureaucratic Gamesmanship
Judge Bates, while ruling in DOGE’s favor, couldn’t help but call out the bureaucratic maneuvering that placed DOGE outside the Office of Management and Budget’s control. He remarked that DOGE was created in an “odd” structure, noting: “It just seems to strain credulity.”
Unions Cry Foul — But What Are They Really Hiding?
Predictably, union lawyers rushed to the defense of their entrenched power, claiming that without a court order, DOGE could access sensitive agency information — from employee complaints to financial records. Their sudden concern for privacy is rich, considering these are the same agencies that have weaponized regulatory power against political opponents and private businesses.
Attorney Mark Samburg, representing Labor Department unions, fretted that DOGE’s access could have a “chilling effect” on whistleblowers. But what he didn’t say? Labor Department records also include investigations into Musk-owned Tesla and SpaceX — potentially exposing how deeply federal agencies have been targeting private industry for political reasons.
Samburg raised alarm about “imminent risk of unlawful disclosure” — but with the federal government’s track record of data leaks and weaponized bureaucracy, it’s hard to believe the real concern isn’t protecting Democrat cronies from scrutiny.
Another Court Fight Looms Over Treasury Records
In a separate move on Friday, another federal judge temporarily blocked DOGE from accessing Treasury Department payment systems. That extension followed a lawsuit by 19 Democrat state attorneys general — outraged that DOGE might uncover how the federal payment system was used under Biden-era schemes.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
