A federal judge in Washington has ruled that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) can continue accessing information from at least three federal agencies, despite opposition from the Department of Labor, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
U.S. District Judge John Bates issued the decision, rejecting attempts to block DOGE’s access to sensitive government data.
Musk, celebrating the ruling, took to X (formerly Twitter) to repost the news with the caption: “LFG”—an abbreviation for “Let’s f---ing go.”
The ruling comes amid a heated battle between Musk and Judge Bates. Over the past week, Musk has publicly criticized Bates on X, even calling for the judge’s impeachment. The attacks escalated after Bates ruled in a separate case that multiple federal agencies must restore public health data that had been removed during the Trump administration.
“There needs to be an immediate wave of judicial impeachments, not just one,” Musk wrote, directly targeting Bates and other judges he sees as obstructing government reform efforts.
Despite his sharp criticism, the latest ruling from Bates is a win for Musk and DOGE, which remains on track to continue its oversight of government agencies.
Judge Bates, who was appointed by President George W. Bush, described DOGE as a “Goldilocks entity: not an agency when it is burdensome but an agency when it is convenient.”
Attorneys for the opposing federal agencies argued that DOGE should not be considered a government agency since it was established via executive order, meaning it should not have the authority to assign its employees to different parts of the federal government.
Mark Samburg, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, warned that allowing DOGE access could have a “chilling effect” on new government employees, who might fear unlawful disclosure of information or retaliation.
DOGE, one of President Donald Trump’s key reelection promises, was created through an executive order as a temporary White House initiative. Its mission is to aggressively cut government waste, particularly in federal spending. The agency is set to operate for 18 months as it carries out its mandate.
While its supporters argue that DOGE is essential for streamlining government operations, critics worry about the extent of its power and potential overreach. With this latest ruling, Musk’s agency remains on track to continue its oversight—at least for now.