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Press Release

Judge Denies Preliminary Injunction in POGO Records Lawsuit Against DOGE

This is a temporary setback, but POGO will continue to push for greater transparency into DOGE’s operations

Jun 17, 2025
A magnifying glass shines a spotlight on the Department of Government Efficiency logo.

(Illustration: Leslie Garvey / POGO)

A federal judge denied the Project On Government Oversight’s request for a preliminary injunction in our lawsuit against President Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) seeking to ensure that DOGE records are subject to the Federal Records Act (FRA) and therefore available to the public through the Freedom of Information Act, starting immediately.

Despite this temporary setback, POGO will continue to pursue this lawsuit and push for greater transparency into DOGE’s operations.

“This is a frustrating outcome — not just for the Project On Government Oversight, but for the American public. We must have insight into DOGE’s sweeping efforts to change our federal government, and we must hold the administration accountable for any corruption or abuse of power,” said Danielle Brian, executive director and president of the Project On Government Oversight. “I hope the courts ultimately rule on the side of transparency and accountability.”

As the judge mentioned in the order, DOGE must still retain records according to the Presidential Records Act. This will ensure that if POGO ultimately prevails in this case, the administration will need to make those records more readily available to the public.

The Trump administration has claimed that DOGE’s records are subject to the Presidential Records Act, which would shield key information about DOGE’s operations from the public for up to 12 years after Trump leaves office. In our lawsuit, POGO argues that because DOGE is operating as an agency, it should preserve records according to the Federal Records Act, which would provide the public greater access to information about this influential entity.

"DOGE wields enormous power and its actions have impacted hundreds of thousands of Americans across the government. That is why it is critical that the records of DOGE be preserved and publicly accessible: so that the public can understand what DOGE is doing and why,” said POGO’s attorney Anne Weismann.