Overview
- U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang in Maryland denied a protective order and ordered depositions of Elon Musk, former acting USAID deputy administrator Peter Marocco, and former DOGE team lead Jeremy Lewin.
- The court found plaintiffs had no alternative sources for critical information, citing unanswered requests to depose lower-level staff and gaps in documents about who approved shutting USAID headquarters and its website.
- Chuang wrote it was unclear the witnesses qualify as high‑ranking officials under any apex doctrine and noted Musk is no longer in government, reducing concerns about burdening current officials.
- Discovery now centers on the identity, authority, and timing behind decisions to dismantle USAID, and the judge said separation‑of‑powers concerns can be handled through subject‑matter limits; deposition dates have not been set.
- Anonymous USAID employees allege unlawful actions by DOGE, with earlier rulings questioning Musk’s formal authority and a Lancet study estimating the cuts could contribute to more than 14 million deaths over five years.