Washington DC - A US judge on Monday ordered Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to release its internal documents, saying its cutting spree has been marked by "unusual secrecy."

Since his return to the White House in January, President Donald Trump has launched a vast offensive aimed at dismantling the administrative state.

To that end, he tapped Musk, the far-right billionaire who was his top campaign donor, to lead DOGE, a non-government agency which has cut tens of thousands of federal jobs.

US District Judge Christopher Cooper said the authority exercised by DOGE "across the federal government and the dramatic cuts it has apparently made with no congressional input appear to be unprecedented."

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He added in his court opinion that the "rapid pace" of DOGE's actions "requires the quick release of information about its structure and activities."

The judge said this was "especially so given the secrecy with which (DOGE) has operated."

Cooper argued that the entity is "likely covered" by the Freedom of Information Act and said "the public would be irreparably harmed by an indefinite delay in unearthing the records."

Last week, Trump responded to growing criticism over unprecedented cuts to the US government overseen by DOGE, saying Musk should be cutting with a "scalpel" rather than a "hatchet."

Judge Cooper's order requires Trump's government to file a status report on the production of documents by March 20, and to confer with the plaintiffs on a joint report, including a timeline, by March 27.