POGO filed a civil suit against President Trump and DOGE challenging the claim that DOGE is subject to the Presidential Records Act instead of the Federal Records Act

 

February 22, 2025

President Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are withholding DOGE records from public view. But you deserve full transparency about DOGE, and we’re suing for that transparency. Yesterday, POGO filed a civil suit against President Trump and DOGE challenging the claim that DOGE is subject to the Presidential Records Act instead of the Federal Records Act. Under the latter, the public can access agency records via the Freedom of Information Act and stay informed on what is happening behind closed doors. A declaration that DOGE is covered by the Presidential Records Act serves to conceal its activities from public examination — while also keeping DOGE records under wraps for up to 12 years after President Trump leaves office. But DOGE is operating like an agency and therefore should be subject to the same transparency laws and scrutiny as other parts of the federal government. In the past few weeks, DOGE has exercised an astonishing overreach of power. And with DOGE seeking access to personal, highly sensitive information like your taxpayer records and Social Security data, you have every right to be informed on what they’re doing, as is dictated by the law. We’re taking President Trump and DOGE to court to force it to comply with the record-keeping and public access laws outlined in the Federal Records Act. The government should not keep secrets from you — and we’ll fight to ensure you’re not kept in the dark. We need your support. POGO is pushing back against corruption and abuse of power to secure the accountable and transparent government you deserve. Give now to power progress in this crucial work. PRESS RELEASE POGO Sues President Trump and DOGE Over Access to Records POGO filed a lawsuit to demand that DOGE comply with the Federal Records Act and follow record preservation laws. Read More INVESTIGATION DOD Contractor Hires Trump-Aligned Lobbyists to Tackle DOGE The Elon Musk-helmed initiative could be an opportunity for DC’s K Street influence peddlers to cash in. Read More LETTER Congress: Do not Write DHS a Blank Check POGO opposes proposed massive budget increases that could enable corruption and abuse. Read More QUOTE OF THE WEEK “[DOGE] could fire every single federal employee and still not accomplish their goals. They’ll need federal employees to do it. It’s further evidence that they don’t know how government works.” Danielle Brian, Executive Director, in Harper’s Magazine OVERHEARD ONE LINERS “When you create this culture of fear and intimidation and have that chilling effect of making people even more fearful about calling out wrongdoing, it ensures that corruption goes unnoticed and unaddressed.” Joe Spielberger, Senior Policy Counsel, in Wired   “There is absolutely waste, fraud and abuse, and there are improper payments, and there are inefficiencies, and they just come up with all kinds of reasons that basically come down to ‘It’s too hard, and we don’t want to do it.’” Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette, Director of Government Affairs, in NBC News   “The new guidance on the scaling back of enforcement of both the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and Foreign Agents Registration Act at a time when the president and his lead advisor Elon Musk continue to have significant financial entanglements with foreign interests, is the equivalent of putting up a neon sign telling foreign actors ‘we are open for corruption,’” Danielle Brian, Executive Director, in NBC News   “It underlines the rot at the core of our society, where we can’t talk, debate and have disagreements in a respectful way.” Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette, Director of Government Affairs, in Portland Press Herald   These entanglements raise numerous ethics concerns as well as national security concerns because we are talking about Saudi interests where there is even less of a distinction between the ruling family and their businesses.” Scott Amey, General Counsel, in CBS News   “This, to me, is just part and parcel of the amateur-hour nature of what DOGE is doing. They’re going to destroy more than they help. It’s absolutely counterproductive.” Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette, Director of Government Affairs, in The Intercept   “One great way to get more accountability is to both strengthen protections for whistleblowers and to work within agencies to change the culture so that we really celebrate whistleblowing and celebrate whistleblowers for the important work that they’re doing that has a direct role in increasing accountability across the government.” Joe Spielberger, Senior Policy Counsel, on Federal News Network   “This, to me, is just part and parcel of the amateur-hour nature of what DOGE is doing. They’re going to destroy more than they help. It’s absolutely counterproductive.” Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette, Director of Government Affairs, in Bangor Daily News Wear Your Values Your purchase at the POGO merch store helps support our work to hold the federal government accountable. Shop now. pogo.org, e-mail of Feb 22, 2025