Federal judge orders Trump administration to pay ‘unlawfully’ restricted USAID funds
A federal judge on Monday ordered the Trump administration to pay the remainder of foreign aid owed to contractors for completed work, noting in a new court ruling that the administration likely violated the separation of powers doctrine by “unlawfully impounding” nearly $2 billion in funds appropriated by Congress. U.S. District Court Judge Amir Ali, a Biden appointee, said in the ruling that the Trump administration likely exceeded its constitutional authority in attempting to block the payments owed by the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to grant recipients and foreign aid contractors. “Here, the executive has unilaterally deemed that funds Congress appropriated for foreign aid will not be spent,” Ali said. “The executive not only claims his constitutional authority to determine how to spend appropriated funds, but usurps Congress’ exclusive authority to dictate whether the funds should be spent in the first place.” SCOTUS RULES ON NEARLY $2 BILLION IN FROZEN USAID PAYMENTS Ali said the limits of the case, which focuses solely on projects completed before Feb. 13, prevent him from ordering the administration to make payments on other work, or ordering the reinstatement of other contracts. As of last Friday, that amount owed by the government stood at around $671 million. It is unclear whether additional payments have been made, though Ali ordered the plaintiffs to file a joint status report by March 14 apprising the court of the Trump administration’s compliance with the order. Plaintiffs were also told to propose a schedule for next steps in this matter. “The Court is prepared to hold a prompt hearing at the request of the parties to address any feasibility concerns,” Ali said in the 48-page order. Ali also dedicated a large portion of the 48-page ruling to arguments that the Trump administration likely usurped its executive authority under the Constitution in ordering a blanket freeze on nearly all foreign aid payments in a Jan. 20 executive order, and a memo just four days later that curtailed foreign aid funding and restructured existing contracts. White House and State Department officials did not immediately respond to the Fox News’s request for comment on the status of the remaining payments, or if the amount owed still stands at $671 million. LAWSUIT TRACKER: NEW RESISTANCE BATTLING TRUMP’S SECOND TERM THROUGH ONSLAUGHT OF LAWSUITS TAKING AIM AT EOS Ali had previously ordered the Trump administration to pay all owed foreign aid funds for previously completed work, totaling $1.9 billion, by Feb. 26 at 11:59 p.m. The Supreme Court took up the case for emergency review last week, but ruled 5-4 to reject the administration’s request to extend the freeze. Instead, the court remanded the case back to the D.C. federal court and Ali to hash out the specifics of what must be paid and when. But the bulk of last week’s hearing in D.C. federal court, which stretched on for more than four hours, focused largely on the government’s role and review of all foreign aid contractors and grants, which Trump administration lawyers told Ali they had already completed and made final decisions for. Lawyers were also pressed over whether the Trump administration can legally move to terminate projects whose funds are allocated and appropriated by Congress – something Ali referenced specifically in his ruling. “The provision and administration of foreign aid has been a joint enterprise between our two political branches,” he said. “That partnership is built not out of convenience, but of constitutional necessity.” These arguments – and the ruling from Ali – could eventually kick the issue back up to the Supreme Court, should the government move to appeal any part of the memo or the allegations.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the House voting to avoid a government shutdown today
The House is poised to debate and vote on an interim spending bill to avoid a government shutdown early Saturday morning. This bill renews all Biden-era funding numbers. It also cuts the budget for Washington but allows the Pentagon to begin new programs and increases military pay. It is all about the math. The margin could be tight. That is why Vice President JD Vance is on Capitol Hill meeting with House Republicans behind closed doors at 9 a.m. ET. REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: HERE WE GO AGAIN (AGAIN) President Donald Trump unloaded last night on Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., threatening a primary challenge. Massie is a hard no. The administration and House GOP leaders believe a shutdown would be catastrophic and interfere with adopting Trump’s agenda. House Democratic leaders oppose the package. They believe Republicans should pass the bill themselves since they didn’t negotiate with Democrats. However, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., refused to answer when asked twice yesterday if all Democrats would vote nay. VIDEO OF DEMS RAILING AGAINST PAST SHUTDOWNS UNVEILED BY GOP Democrats are somewhat torn. On the one hand, they believe a shutdown could impede DOGE. On the other, they fear that a shutdown could embolden Elon Musk to shutter programs that are closed. The vote comes today sometime after 4 p.m. ET. Even if the bill passes, the measure faces an unclear future in the Senate. Even if all 53 Senate Republicans vote yes, they need seven Democrats to break a filibuster. The deadline to fund the government comes at 11:59:59 p.m. ET Friday.
GOP lawmakers take crucial step to ‘unlock’ American energy to reverse Biden-era ‘disaster’
Newly introduced legislation aims to make it easier to export energy used for warming and lighting up homes in the United States and around the globe. The “Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act of 2025’’ would grant “exclusive authority” to sign off on applications for liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports and exports to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, moving it away from the Department of Energy. The Biden administration stopped clearing LNG export applications and put out a study in December warning about potential long-term cost risks as well as environmental concerns, according to Reuters. TRUMP ADMIN ENDS WAIVER ALLOWING IRAQ TO BUY IRANIAN ELECTRICITY AS PART OF ‘MAXIMUM PRESSURE’ CAMPAIGN However, South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott, the bill’s Senate sponsor, told Fox News Digital it is critical for various reasons, including national security. “If you want your prices to go down, your production has to go up,” Scott said. “I remember back to 2014 when I was still on the Energy Committee […] we had the Lithuania Minister of Energy come before our committee and talk about exporting LNG as a way of sidelining Russia and reducing our dependence on adversaries,” he added. “I’ll never forget that hearing when he was there, it really stuck with me.” Texas Republican Rep. August Pfluger, the legislation’s House sponsor, shared the potential long-term benefits will “tremendously impact” his central and west Texas district, as the state “is the leading LNG exporter in the United States.” “This bill will support thousands of new jobs in Texas, from construction and engineering to operations at export terminals along the Gulf. Furthermore, it will give natural gas producers in Texas a more competitive edge in international markets, ensuring that Texas remains a global energy leader,” he said. The Trump administration appears to be excited about the prospect of expanding LNG efforts domestically, as Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Energy Secretary Chris Wright both visited a facility in Louisiana last week amid an $18 million investment from its owner, Venture Global. The U.S. currently leads the world in natural gas creation, according to the Department of Energy. US ‘ENERGY DOMINANCE’: WRIGHT, BURGUM VISIT LOUISIANA LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS FACILITY AMID $18B EXPANSION “If you think about the America First strategy, the simple answer is an America Last strategy is depending on foreign adversaries for our energy, whether it’s LNG, oil, gas, whatever it is. So the more we do in America to increase our production, the more we engage in the energy America First strategy,” he said. The legislation is meant to be a long-term measure to ultimately make it harder for the policies of a specific administration to determine what permits are approved. However, Scott noted in the short term that “having President Trump in office is the most effective weapon.” FIRED PIPELINE WORKER SAYS REVIVING KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE WILL HELP FAMILIES ‘PROSPER’ “Our goal, of course, is making sure that in the future, no matter who’s in office, that we have in place something that tethers the production to FERC and hopefully avoids the disaster that we saw under the Biden administration – their ability to manipulate the Department of Energy,” Scott added. Last year, legislation under the same title passed the House but did not make it to former President Joe Biden’s desk.
GOP spending bill would force DC to cut $1B from city government, officials say
Washington, D.C., officials are making a last-ditch plea to Congress over the continuing resolution (CR) that is expected to head to the House floor on Tuesday. City officials, including D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, protested the measure outside the Capitol building on Monday. “Unfortunately, we are here today to talk about potentially devastating and really highly unusual situation that we face with the draft budget CR that would immediately have the effect of cutting $1 billion out of our local budget,” Mayor Bowser told the media during a Monday news conference. DEMS THREATENING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN OVER ELON MUSK HATE, REPUBLICANS SAY Bowser implored Congress to put language in the draft CR that would allow D.C. to continue raising and spending local funds under its most recently approved budget, which has been included in past stopgap bills. The mayor says the current CR draft wrongly treats D.C. like it does federal agencies, which have not had their FY25 budgets approved. “We are not a federal agency. We are a city, county, state all at once,” Bowser said. She warned that if the CR’s language is not changed, D.C. will have six months to cut spending by $1.1 billion. White House staff and House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office have been in contact with Mayor Bowser regarding the omitted language, according to Politico. Additionally, D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson reportedly told the outlet that he spoke with senior Republican Staff at the House Appropriations Committee about the situation. The mayor explained that the D.C. budget, which has been approved, focused on public safety, public education and economic growth. She also said that passing the CR would work against a goal that she and President Donald Trump share, “to make Washington, D.C., the best, most beautiful city in the world.” TRUMP-BACKED PLAN TO AVERT SHUTDOWN HEADS FOR HOUSE VOTE Last week, the House Appropriations Committee put out a press release highlighting key parts of the CR that is meant to help avoid a government shutdown. The committee says the CR will still allow for the funding of “core government services” and increases funding for air traffic control, among other things. “This straightforward continuing resolution ensures the government remains open and working for Americans. It maintains critical services for our constituents and provides the largest pay raise for our brave junior enlisted heroes since President Reagan,” House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Ok., said in a press release. “Democrats have a choice to join us or display their true intentions. Should they choose to vote to shut the government for negotiation leverage and their contempt of President Trump, they are readying to hurt hundreds of millions more,” Cole said. “It’s a battle they lost in November, and one the people will continue to see through.” Bowser concluded her remarks at the news conference by saying that D.C. is ready to work with the federal government to ensure that the city “always represents the strength and prosperity of this country.”
DOGE and agencies cancel 200,000 federal government credit cards
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced that it has deactivated more than 200,000 credit cards linked to more than a dozen federal agencies following an audit showing they were unused or unneeded. The announcement comes as the Elon Musk-led agency continues to root out waste, fraud and corruption in the federal government. “Weekly Credit Card Update! Pilot program with 16 agencies to audit unused/unneeded credit cards,” DOGE wrote on its X account. DOGE UNCOVERS OVER 4M GOVERNMENT CREDIT CARDS RESPONSIBLE FOR 90M TRANSACTIONS “After 3 weeks, >200,000 cards have been de-activated. Great progress this past week by @HHSGov [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services] @Interior [U.S. Department of the Interior].” The agency said that at the start of the audit, there were more than 4.6 million active cards/accounts throughout those agencies. “So still more work to do,” the DOGE team wrote. It is unclear how much money the taxpayer will save following the cancelations. Last month, DOGE said the 4.6 million credit cards were used for 90 million unique transactions, totaling around $40 billion worth of spending in FY24. In total, 204,801 credit cards have been canceled, consisting of 171,120 travel cards and 33,681 purchase cards. TRUMP ISSUES WARNING ABOUT WASTEFUL SPENDING, ORDERS ‘RADICAL TRANSPARENCY’ AMID DOGE PROBES, REVELATIONS The agencies which have had credit cards canceled include the General Services Administration (GSA), the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the Labor Department, the Small Business Administration (SBA), the Education Department, the Interior Department, the Treasury Department, the Commerce Department, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Agriculture Department (USDA), NASA, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Homeland Security, Social Security Department and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Interior Department saw the largest number of credit card terminations with nearly 20,000 purchase cards and nearly 40,000 travel cards canceled. HHS was second with more than 43,700 travel credit cards and 2,235 purchase cards canceled. The State Department is the only agency of the 16 which didn’t have any credit cards canceled. Last month, Musk spoke at President Donald Trump’s first Cabinet meeting and said he is looking to find $1 trillion in savings through DOGE to help slash the national debt, which is around $36.5 trillion. Musk took aim at what he described as $2 trillion in deficits, stating that America “simply cannot sustain” that amount of debt “If this continues, the country will go, become de facto bankrupt,” Musk claimed. Musk described DOGE as “not an optional thing” and argued that it was “central” to reforming the U.S. economy. Over the weekend, DOGE also identified thousands of cases where more than $300 million in loans were granted to children. DOGE said it identified that the Small Business Administration (SBA) granted nearly 5,600 loans for $312 million to borrowers whose only listed owner was 11 years old or younger at the time of the loan. The loans were issued in 2020 and 2021 – while the world struggled with the COVID-19 pandemic – and it is unclear what they were used for. Fox News’ Andrea Margolis and Michael Lee contributed to this report.
House Dem pushes to censure Boebert over TV interview about Al Green
Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., is pushing to censure Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., over a TV interview in which the Republican congresswoman criticized Rep. Al Green, D-Texas. Green notably heckled President Donald Trump multiple times during his first address of his second term to Congress last week until House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., ordered the Sergeant at Arms to escort Green from the chamber. Houlahan submitted a resolution Monday calling to censure Boebert “for her recent disparaging and derogatory comments” about Green. REP. AL GREEN BLAMES ‘INVIDIOUS DISCRIMINATION’ FOR BEING CENSURED AFTER DISRUPTING TRUMP’S SPEECH During a March 7 interview with Real America’s Voice News, Boebert said “Al Green was given multiple opportunities to stand down, to sit down, to behave, to show decorum.” “For him to go and shake his pimp cane at President Trump was absolutely abhorrent,” Boebert added. The resolution said those words uttered by Boebert “are disparaging, derogatory, and racist toward another colleague, and are a breach of proper conduct and decorum of the U.S. House of Representatives.” It calls for Boebert to be censured, “forthwith present herself in the well of the House of Representatives for the pronouncement of censure,” and that Boebert “be censured with the public reading of this resolution by the Speaker.” In a statement, Houlahan said, “After my discussion on the House floor last week when Speaker Johnson told me he’d have to censure half the members if he actually enforced the rules of the Congress, I decided to help, and tonight introduced a resolution to censure Representative Boebert for her racist and derogatory statements about Representative Al Green (D-TX).” At the start of Trump’s address before Congress, Green stood up when the president described his electoral victory as a “mandate” from the American people. “You have no mandate! You have no mandate to cut Medicaid!” Green shouted, waving his cane at Trump. The lower chamber of Congress voted to censure Green the next day, and Johnson condemned how the Democrat “chose to deliberately violate House rules in a manner that we think is probably unprecedented in history.” Houlahan initially voted to table the motion, but she was among the 10 Democrats who ultimately joined with Republicans to censure Green. Establishment Democrats and progressives promptly turned on each other over their party’s disrupting behavior during Trump’s address, complaining how they’ve failed to have a unifying message against Republicans. TRUMP BLASTS REP AL GREEN AS ‘AN EMBARRASSMENT’ TO DEMOCRATS, SAYS HE ‘SHOULD BE FORCED TO TAKE AN IQ TEST Houlahan acknowledged in an X post on Thursday that “today’s vote to censure my fellow representative was not easy and has angered many of you.” Speaking to the Philadelphia Inquirer afterward, she defended her decision but also criticized past behavior from Republicans in the chamber that she argued also warranted censure. “I voted to table that because I think we have much, much better things to do with our time than to continue to do this tit-for-tat nonsense with one another,” Houlahan told the newspaper. “That being said, the motion to table failed, so we don’t have the opportunity to not vote on this. And I believe we need to recognize that we have rules in the House of Representatives and we have standards of decorum that we all presumably agree to, and we all need to agree to those standards so we can get the work for the people done and so we can not be a banana republic.” After the vote, Houlahan told the Inquirer she pulled Johnson “to the side and had a very‚ very strong conversation with him where I explained I voted in favor but I am not OK with arbitrary and capricious applications of the same rule.” She said she complained about how there was no censure or sanction against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Johnson replied, “Well, she just wore a hat.” But Houlahan argued Greene “also yelled at the President of the United States,” referring to her treatment of former President Joe Biden last year, “and I don’t believe it’s OK that she did not have same treatment.” “And I think it’s absolute hypocrisy that people after the vote were standing there yelling at Mr. Green when their own colleagues have done very, very similar things, not wearing masks when it was mandated, wearing MAGA hats when there are literally no hats allowed on the floor,” Houlahan said. “We had to make a special exception for wearing hijabs. It’s insane… We need to behave like grown-ups and stop the madness.” Houlahan said it was a “really, really, really hard vote for me,” but ultimately she did her duty. “And it’s frustrating because Al Green’s statement was true,” Houlahan said. “It wasn’t provocative or offensive. It was the truth. But I think each one of us had to make decisions about how we were going to comport ourselves and what was appropriate, and I know each colleague on both sides made those choices, and each one of us knows there are consequences to those choices.”
SCOOP: Video of Dems railing against past shutdowns unveiled by GOP
FIRST ON FOX: House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is putting pressure on House Democrats hours before a critical vote on a bill to avert a partial government shutdown before the end of this week. A video clip, which runs just under two minutes, is a supercut of top Democratic lawmakers emphasizing that their party does not support government shutdowns nor the office closures and mass furloughs that come with them. “House Democrats have long warned about the consequences of a government shutdown,” the text on the screen begins. The message is immediately followed by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., stating during a press conference, “We believe in governance. We want to keep government open. A shutdown is very serious.” MASSIE SAYS HE’S A ‘NO’ ON TRUMP-ENDORSED GOVERNMENT FUNDING MEASURE “It is not normal to hold 800,000 workers’ paychecks hostage. It is not normal to shut down the government when we don’t get what we want,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., says on the House floor in another clip. The video ends with white text on a black screen that reads, “What’s changed? Now Democrats want to shut down the government to try to stop President Trump.” “Democrats have railed against government shutdowns. But now they’re supporting one,” Johnson told Fox News Digital in a written statement. “They’re willing to do anything to stop President Trump from implementing his agenda.” It is a marked escalation in the war of words between Democrats and Republicans over a plan President Donald Trump and GOP leaders are pushing to avert a partial shutdown. The 99-page bill released by House GOP leaders over the weekend would keep the government funded through the end of fiscal year (FY) 2025, on Sept. 30. It would do so by extending FY 2024 government funding levels, which Republican leaders have celebrated as a victory in that it roughly keeps federal spending levels for another year, rather than the expected increases that come with the annual full-year congressional appropriations bills. The bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR), is expected to get a House-wide vote on Tuesday afternoon. Democrats have strongly condemned the bill after not receiving assurances from Republicans that it would include constraints on Trump’s authority, particularly related to government spending. “The partisan House Republican funding bill recklessly cuts healthcare, nutritional assistance, and $23 billion in veterans benefits,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said in a joint statement with other Democratic leaders. “Equally troublesome, the legislation does nothing to protect Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid, while exposing the American people to further pain throughout this fiscal year. We are voting No.” TRUMP-BACKED PLAN TO AVERT SHUTDOWN HEADS FOR HOUSE VOTE CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP House GOP leadership aides said over the weekend that the bill included an additional $6 billion for veterans healthcare, and Republicans have pushed back on accusations that the bill touches Medicare and Medicaid – mandatory government programs that cannot significantly be cut into in the congressional appropriations process. However, passing the bill with little to no Democratic support will be an uphill battle for Republican leaders. At least half a dozen Republicans are undecided about or opposed to the bill as of Tuesday morning, but GOP leaders were confident it would pass throughout Monday. “We’re going to plan to move it tomorrow,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said on Monday night.
Karnataka govt orders probe against DGP K Ramachandra Rao, Ranya Rao’s alleged misuse of VIP protocols in gold smuggling case
The Karnataka government has set up an inquiry against actress Ranya Rao for her alleged misuse of VIP protocols. She was arrested in connection with the gold smuggling case. The state government has appointed Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta to probe the role of DGP rank officer K Ramachandra Rao, if any, in the alleged gold smuggling activity of his stepdaughter and Kannada actress Ranya Rao.
Dem seeks to halt Trump from ‘invading’ Greenland, Canada and Panama
House Democrats have launched an effort to bar President Donald Trump from unilaterally moving to “invade or seize territory” from Greenland, Canada and Panama. The measure, known as the No Invading Allies Act and spearheaded by Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., bars funding from going toward the armed forces to engage in operations seeking to take over Greenland, Canada and Panama. Magaziner said Trump’s “reckless” rhetoric about obtaining territory from the three countries makes the president untrustworthy with the war powers granted to him. “Americans do not support sending troops unnecessary wars, especially with allies of the United States who pose no threat to our country,” Magaziner said in a Monday statement to Fox News Digital. “Unfortunately, President Trump has recklessly refused to rule out taking the territory of other nations by force. Under the Constitution it is Congress, not the President, who has the power to declare war. It is time for Congress to reclaim that constitutional power and ensure that the President adheres to the will of the American people.” TRUMP SAYS US WOULD WELCOME GREENLAND DURING JOINT ADDRESS TO CONGRESS While the U.S. Constitution dictates that Congress has the authority to approve declaring an act of war, Congress last formally declared war in 1942, and modern presidents have entered conflicts without securing explicit or formal congressional approval, according to the National Constitution Center. Furthermore, the War Powers Resolution of 1973 requires the executive branch to notify Congress within 48 hours of military action and bars troops from remaining engaged for more than 60 days without congressional approval. However, the legislation does not define “hostilities,” and previous administrations have asserted their actions engaging military forces did not qualify as hostilities and, therefore, congressional approval was not required, according to the Project on Government Oversight. Other Democratic lawmakers who have co-sponsored the measure include Reps. Eric Swallwell of California and Pramila Jayapal of Washington. The legislation has been referred to both the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services Committees. Trump has discussed acquiring Greenland, Canada and Panama for months – and has regularly referred to Canada as the 51st state in the U.S. Additionally, Trump asserted in a joint address to Congress on Tuesday that the U.S. would reclaim the Panama Canal for security reasons and acquire Greenland. “And I also have a message tonight for the incredible people of Greenland,” Trump said. “We strongly support your right to determine your own future, and if you choose, we welcome you into the United States of America.” Trump has discussed the possibility of expanding American territory for months and said in a post in December 2024 on Truth Social that “the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.” GREENLAND, PANAMA FIERCELY REJECT TRUMP’S AMBITIONS IN ADDRESS TO CONGRESS Meanwhile, leaders from Greenland, which is a territory of Denmark, and Panama pushed back on Trump’s comments to Congress. “We do not want to be Americans, nor Danes, we are Kalaallit (Greenlanders),” Greenland Prime Minister Múte Egede said in a post on Facebook translated by Reuters. “The Americans and their leader must understand that.” “I reject, on behalf of Panama and all Panamanians, this new affront to the truth and to our dignity as a nation,” Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino said in a post on X on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Republicans have cast doubt on whether Trump would actually launch a military conflict against countries like Greenland. For example, Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., said in an interview with NBC in January that the U.S. would not “invade another country.” “Quite frankly, the president’s been very clear,” Lankford said. “He is the president that kept American troops out of war. He is not looking to be able to go start a war, to go expand American troops, but he does want to be able to protect America’s national security, and part of that is our economic security and our future.” Fox News’ Caitlin McFall and Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.
Judge rules DOGE likely subject to public records requests, says department operating in ‘unusual secrecy’
The Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, is likely subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), a federal judge ruled Monday, noting that the newly formed department had been run in “unusual secrecy.” U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, an Obama appointee, sided with the government watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in rejecting the Trump administration’s argument that DOGE does not have to respond to public records requests. The administration claimed that DOGE is an arm of the Executive Office of the President, making it not subject to FOIA requests, which allow the public to request access to records produced by government agencies that had not previously been disclosed. Cooper ruled that DOGE exercises “substantial independent authority” much greater than the other parts of the executive office that are usually exempt from the FOIA law. WH LAMBASTS ‘HEAD-IN-THE-SAND’ LIBERAL PROSECUTORS AFTER 2 AGS SUE TO HALT DOGE CUTS The ruling could force DOGE to become more transparent about its role in the administration’s mass firings of the federal workforce, as well as its dismantling of government agencies and decisions to cancel contracts. “Canceling any government contract would seem to require substantial authority—and canceling them on this scale certainly does,” Cooper wrote. The judge said DOGE “appears to have the power not just to evaluate federal programs, but to drastically reshape and even eliminate them wholesale,” which he said the department declined to refute. DOGE SAYS GOVERNMENT PAYING FOR 11,020 ADOBE ACROBAT LICENSES WITH ZERO USERS, PLUS MORE ‘IDLE’ ACCOUNTS Cooper also said its “operations thus far have been marked by unusual secrecy,” citing reports about DOGE’s use of an outside server, its employees’ refusal to identify themselves to career officials and their use of the encrypted app Signal to communicate. The watchdog filed the lawsuit on Feb. 20 after filing FOIA requests seeking further information on DOGE’s operations, including communications like internal government emails and memos. The group had asked Cooper to order DOGE and the Office of Management and Budget to release the records by Monday, arguing that the public and Congress needed the information during the debate over government funding legislation that must be passed by Friday to avert a partial government shutdown, but the judge declined to set a Friday deadline to produce the records. “Unfortunately for CREW, it satisfies none of the factors entitling it to preliminary relief ordering production of its OMB requests by today’s date,” Cooper wrote. Instead, the judge ordered for the records to be produced on a “rolling basis as soon as practicable,” saying voters and Congress deserve timely information on DOGE given the “unprecedented” authority it was exercising to reshape the government. This case is one of several lawsuits targeting the administration’s argument that DOGE is not subject to FOIA requests, but the other cases are still in earlier stages. Reuters contributed to this report.