Elon Musk will have to sit for a deposition over what he did at DOGE, judge rules [View all]

Source: Business Insider

Feb 5, 2026, 12:02 AM ET


Elon Musk will have to sit for a deposition for lawyers to examine his role in dismantling USAID, a Maryland judge ruled.

In an eight-page order released on Tuesday, US District Judge Theodore Chuang rejected a request from Musk and officials linked to the Department of Government Efficiency to forgo a deposition.

It ordered him, along with former acting USAID director Peter Marocco and Department of State official Jeremy Lewin, to be deposed. Musk's legal team had tried to use the "apex doctrine" to avoid the deposition, a rule that allows high-ranking government officials to avoid depositions in some situations.

The deposition is part of a lawsuit against Musk and DOGE officials, filed by current and terminated USAID employees, who remain anonymous. Chuang said that it was unclear whether Musk, Marocco, and Lewin were "properly deemed to be high-ranking government officials."

Read more: https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-doge-deposition-judge-rules-2026-2