Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will continue to have access to sensitive records from at least three federal agencies after a federal judge in Washington denied a request to block its access.

In a late-night ruling, U.S. District Judge John Bates rejected a request from a group of unions and nonprofits seeking a temporary order to prevent DOGE from accessing records at the Department of Labor, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Musk has repeatedly targeted Judge Bates on X (formerly Twitter), even calling for his impeachment after Bates ruled in another case ordering multiple agencies to restore public health data that had been removed by the Trump administration.

“There needs to be an immediate wave of judicial impeachments, not just one,” Musk posted on Wednesday.

Following Friday’s ruling, Musk celebrated his legal victory on X.

The central issue in the case was whether DOGE has the authority to assign staff to federal agencies and legally access their records.

Judge Bates ruled that for DOGE to have this authority, it must be considered an “agency” under federal law.

• Plaintiffs argued that DOGE is not a federal agency because it was created via executive order and is therefore not entitled to assign its personnel to federal agencies.
• DOGE’s own lawyers tried to avoid the “agency” classification, likely to escape legal obligations under laws such as:
  • The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
  • The Privacy Act
  • The Administrative Procedures Act

Despite DOGE’s attempt to distance itself from the “agency” label, Judge Bates disagreed with its interpretation and ruled that it likely qualifies as an agency under federal law.

This decision unexpectedly benefited DOGE, as it grants Musk’s team continued access to sensitive federal records—delivering a surprise legal win despite the administration’s legal maneuvering.

With Musk’s influence over federal government operations expanding, this ruling is expected to fuel further legal and political battles over DOGE’s role and authority.