House Democrats are ramping up their scrutiny of the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency Service (DOGE), filing a detailed Freedom of Information Act request to determine whether its activities are operating “outside the bounds of federal law”, the Associated Press reported on Tuesday.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Rep. Gerald Connolly (D-VA), key figures on the House Judiciary and House Oversight committees, have requested detailed information about DOGE’s authority, particularly its role in carrying out mass firings of federal workers and the dismantling of federal agencies. Their request also questions the involvement of billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, a close advisor to President Trump, in DOGE operations.
The two lawmakers are seeking documents that outline DOGE’s access to sensitive government data, its use of artificial intelligence, the qualifications and training of its staff, and communications between DOGE and Musk’s private companies, including SpaceX, Starlink, and Tesla.
In a letter to Amy Gleason, the administrator of DOGE, Raskin and Connolly have reportedly criticised the administration’s lack of transparency, alleging that the administration and Musk have “hidden behind a veil of secrecy” as they “systematically dismantle the federal government of the United States.”
According to AP report, the duo called for swift answers, writing, “The American people deserve answers, and we are committed to using every tool at our disposal to expose the truth about DOGE’s operations.”
The lawmakers have requested an expedited review of the FOIA request, with a response expected within 20 days.
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