Christopher Schuler, christopher.schuler@sierraclub.org
Washington, DC – The Sierra Club filed a Freedom of Information Act request this week seeking all external communications of key Office of Management and Budget and United States DOGE Service personnel, including Elon Musk, Director Russ Vought, and known DOGE staff members. The request, part of the Sierra Club’s Environmental Law Program’s efforts to provide transparency to the general public, seeks to unearth more information on the work of Elon Musk’s team, their influence, and potential conflicts of interest.
Read the full FOIA request the Sierra Club submitted here.
The request targets all communications between key political staff at OMB and DOGE and outside influencers across a range of industries and right-wing organizations. Along with a partner group, Environmental Integrity Project, the organization has already submitted broad FOIA requests specific to the ongoing federal funding freeze and its impact on agencies like EPA and the Department of Energy, as well as requests to preserve critical environmental data from being destroyed or unpublished.
During Trump’s first term in office, the Sierra Club’s successful FOIA program helped uncover major instances of fraud and abuse, eventually leading to the resignation of key officials like then-EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt.
In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Ben Jealous released the following statement:
“The American people have a right to know who is influencing or directly involved in making these misguided decisions across our government that have resulted in mass layoffs, the deletion of not only critical environmental data but entire environmental departments, and the continued illegal withholding of Congressionally appropriated funds. Sunshine is the best disinfectant, and the public is owed a better understanding of the scale of agencies and individuals participating in the work being conducted under the guise of DOGE. We look forward to the government’s response to our requests.”
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.