A federal judge issued a Thursday order requiring four Trump administration officials to testify in a lawsuit seeking to expose the inner workings of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and answer questions regarding the legality of unexpected cuts to the federal workforce.

One unnamed official from DOGE and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Labor will be questioned in separate sessions limited to eight hours each.

District Judge John Bates said their testimonies will be used to explain the “lack of clarity” on the issue of whether DOGE employees are also employed by the United States Digital Service (USDS), which was established in 2014.

DOGE was created as a temporary organization under the USDS through an executive order. The mandate says DOGE was created to advance President Trump’s “18-month agenda” and requires the organization to terminate on July 4, 2026. 

Six labor unions and the Economic Policy Institute filed a February lawsuit claiming DOGE’s efforts to slash “waste, fraud and abuse” go beyond the legal scope.

“This may be one of the biggest data hacks in U.S. history—I doubt anyone who voted for Donald Trump thought he would enable Musk to vacuum up their Social Security numbers, spousal details, and kids’ medical records for his own ends. Americans want a better life for themselves and their families: lower costs and higher wages,” Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said in a statement. 

Bates, the presiding judge, will soon issue a ruling on whether DOGE should be temporarily blocked from reviewing federal agencies while the case plays out.