Skeptical judges may make the Trump administration explain what it's doing behind the scenes

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CNN Politics

Updated 6:48 AM EST, Tue February 25, 2025


CNN — The Trump administration may soon be forced to answer central questions about its Department of Government Efficiency and about major other actions by government agencies that are now being challenged in court, as the quick-moving legal proceedings head to the next phase.

In multiple cases, President Donald Trump’s legal foes are making somewhat extraordinary requests for judges to order the government to turn over internal documents, explain its decision-making and even require depositions from administration officials. Some judges have already signaled openness to such requests, remarking upon the lack of public clarity about who is behind the major decisions that have upended the federal government – and about how DOGE in particular is operating.

“The things that I’m hearing are concerning indeed and troubling indeed,” Judge Tanya Chutkan said during a hearing last week in a lawsuit brought by Democratic state attorneys general making broad constitutional claims against Elon Musk’s role in the administration. “But I have to have a record, and I have to make findings of fact before I issue something,” Chutkan added.

While the administration’s foes have sometimes lost in their bids for immediate court intervention, getting more information about the administration’s actions could put them on better footing as their cases continue. It is nonetheless unusual for challengers to make the requests now – and for some judges to be proactively inviting more fact-finding at this early phase in the litigation – as discovery is often avoided in cases challenging agency action.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/25/politics/discovery-trump-agenda-judges/index.html

[Permanut]

1. "The Trump Administration may soon be forced to answer..."

Gosh, they've already been forced to answer so many questions.

: sarcasm:

What a farce.

[Scrivener7]

2. "May soon"

[Hugin]

3. There's certainly an accountability and transparency gap.

The courts need to have access to that information on who is taking responsibility for these actions and if they have the legal right to.

I almost made it through that without laughing.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

4. The judges are getting pissed

One judge was irked yesterday at this exchange

Link to tweet

The judge is allowing some discovery on this issue

Link to tweet

Yesterday, while Judge Kollar-Kotelly grilled a DOJ atty on DOGE's "opaque" and "squirrelly" structure (which he couldn't answer), plaintiffs asked Judge Chutkan to order discovery on same issues. E.g., "Admit that Elon Musk has directed actions of DOGE personnel."

[pfitz59]

5. Trump will just ignore the judges

Enforcement would have to be done by Bondi's DOF, and that isn't happening.

[bluestarone]

6. Hell, i bet they would refuse to answer these questions.

They will STALL all of this.

[EarthFirst]

7. 40 days later...

36 days later; someone is finally going to request transparency from a rouge quasi-agency?

Charming.

[turbinetree]

8. Do you think that maybe writs of contempt should be filed and and some people thrown in jail............

in this illegal operation...............just asking for a friend............