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Case TitleJUDICIAL WATCH, INC. v. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DistrictDistrict of Columbia
CityWashington, DC
Case Number1:2019cv02584
Date Filed2019-08-27
Date Closed2021-07-02
JudgeJudge Royce C. Lamberth
PlaintiffJUDICIAL WATCH, INC.
Case DescriptionJudicial Watch submitted a FOIA request to the Department of State for records of communications involving former head of the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Kathleen Kavalec containing references to Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump and other terms related to the 2016 election campaign. The agency acknowledged receipt of the request but after hearing nothing further from the agency, Judicial Watch filed suit.
Complaint issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Adequacy - Search, Litigation - Vaughn index, Litigation - Attorney's fees

DefendantU.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Documents
Docket
Complaint
Complaint attachment 1
Complaint attachment 2
Complaint attachment 3
Complaint attachment 4
User-contributed Documents
 
Docket Events (Hide)
Date FiledDoc #Docket Text

2019-08-271COMPLAINT against U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE ( Filing fee $ 400 receipt number 0090-6344727) filed by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC.. (Attachments: # 1 Civil Cover Sheet, # 2 Summons U.S. Attorney, # 3 Summons U.S. Attorney General, # 4 Summons U.S. Department of State)(Orfanedes, Paul) (Entered: 08/27/2019)
2019-08-272LCvR 26.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC. (Orfanedes, Paul) (Entered: 08/27/2019)
2019-08-30Case assigned to Judge Royce C. Lamberth. (zmc) (Entered: 08/30/2019)
2019-08-303SUMMONS (3) Issued Electronically as to U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachment: # 1 Notice and Consent)(zmc) (Entered: 08/30/2019)
2019-09-094RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 9/9/2019. ( Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 10/9/2019.), RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General 9/9/2019., RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE served on 9/9/2019 (Attachments: # 1 Declaration of Cristina Rotaru)(Orfanedes, Paul) (Entered: 09/09/2019)
2019-09-305NOTICE of Appearance by Chris Fedeli on behalf of JUDICIAL WATCH, INC. (Fedeli, Chris) (Entered: 09/30/2019)
2019-10-096ANSWER to Complaint by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE.(Clark, Denise) (Entered: 10/09/2019)
2019-10-317VACATED PURSUANT TO ORDER 9 ......ORDER: Local Rule 16.3(b)(10) exempts parties to a FOIA action from typical scheduling order requirements. Instead, the government has the burden to produce a Vaughn index with a supporting dispositive motion. So the Court ORDERS the government to file the index and supporting motion within thirty days. Signed by Judge Royce C. Lamberth on 10/31/2019. (lcrcl2, ) Modified on 11/7/2019 (lsj). (Entered: 10/31/2019)
2019-11-058Joint MOTION to Vacate Briefing Schedule by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE (Clark, Denise) (Entered: 11/05/2019)
2019-11-079ORDER granting 8 Motion to Vacate Briefing Schedule. Defendant will make its first release of responsive records no later than January 8, 2020, and the parties will file a further Joint Status Report no later than January 16, 2020. Signed by Judge Royce C. Lamberth on 11/06/2019. (lcrcl2) (Entered: 11/07/2019)
2019-11-07Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 1/16/2020 (lsj) (Entered: 11/07/2019)
2019-11-2710NOTICE OF SUBSTITUTION OF COUNSEL by Michelle D. Jackson on behalf of All Defendants Substituting for attorney Denise M. Clark (Jackson, Michelle) (Entered: 11/27/2019)
2020-01-1411Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Jackson, Michelle) (Entered: 01/14/2020)
2020-01-1512ORDER: Upon consideration of the parties' Joint Status Report 11 , it is hereby ORDERED that defendant will make further releases of responsive records no later than February 10, 2020, March 9, 2020, and April 8, 2020, and that parties will file a further Joint Status Report no later than April 17, 2020. Signed by Judge Royce C. Lamberth on 01/14/2020. (lcrcl2) (Entered: 01/15/2020)
2020-03-2713Unopposed MOTION to Stay and Extend Filing Deadline by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order, # 2 Declaration)(Jackson, Michelle). Added MOTION for Extension of Time to on 3/27/2020 (jf). (Entered: 03/27/2020)
2020-03-3014ORDER granting 13 Unopposed Motion to Stay and Extend Filing Deadline. State's April 8, 2020, production deadline is stayed until June 8, 2020. The Parties shall file a joint status report by June 17, 2020. Signed by Judge Royce C. Lamberth on 03/27/2020. (lcrcl2) (Entered: 03/30/2020)
2020-03-31Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 6/17/2020 (lsj) (Entered: 03/31/2020)
2020-05-1515NOTICE OF SUBSTITUTION OF COUNSEL by Kristin Brudy-Everett on behalf of U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Substituting for attorney Michelle D. Jackson (Brudy-Everett, Kristin) (Entered: 05/15/2020)
2020-06-0416NOTICE OF WITHDRAWAL OF APPEARANCE as to JUDICIAL WATCH, INC.. Attorney Chris Fedeli terminated. (Fedeli, Chris) (Entered: 06/04/2020)
2020-06-1717Unopposed Second MOTION to Continue Stay and Extend Filing Deadline by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Brudy-Everett, Kristin). Added MOTION for Extension of Time to Complete Discovery on 6/18/2020 (zjf). (Entered: 06/17/2020)
2020-06-2518ORDER granting 17 Motion to Continue and to Extend Time to Complete Discovery; Set/Reset Deadlines: Discovery stayed until 7/15/2020. Status Report due by 7/15/2020. Signed by Judge Royce C. Lamberth on 06/25/2020. (lcmb) (Entered: 06/25/2020)
2020-07-1519Consent MOTION to Stay and Extend Filing Deadline by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Brudy-Everett, Kristin). Added MOTION for Extension to on 7/15/2020 (zjf). Modified event on 7/17/2020 (znmw). (Entered: 07/15/2020)
2020-07-1720ORDER granting 19 Motion to Stay; granting 19 Motion for Extension of Time; Set/Reset Deadlines: Production deadline stayed until 8/15/2020. Joint status report due by 8/15/2020. Signed by Judge Royce C. Lamberth on 07/17/2020. (lcmb) (Entered: 07/17/2020)
2020-08-0521NOTICE of Appearance by Lauren M. Burke on behalf of JUDICIAL WATCH, INC. (Burke, Lauren) (Main Document 21 replaced on 8/6/2020) (zjf). (Entered: 08/05/2020)
2020-08-1322Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Brudy-Everett, Kristin) (Entered: 08/13/2020)
2020-08-1323ORDER Status Report due by 11/9/2020. Signed by Judge Royce C. Lamberth on 08/13/2020. (lcmb) (Entered: 08/13/2020)
2020-11-0924Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Brudy-Everett, Kristin) (Entered: 11/09/2020)
2020-11-1325ORDERJoint Status Report due on 2/2/2021. Signed by Judge Royce C. Lamberth on 11/13/2020. (lcrcl2) (Entered: 11/13/2020)
2021-02-0226Joint STATUS REPORT by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC.. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Burke, Lauren) (Entered: 02/02/2021)
2021-05-1427Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Brudy-Everett, Kristin) (Entered: 05/14/2021)
2021-05-1728ORDER directing nunc pro tunc that status report be filed by by 5/14/2021. (No further action required.) Signed by Judge Royce C. Lamberth on 5/17/2021. (lcrcl2) (Entered: 05/17/2021)
2021-05-1729ORDER Status Report due by 6/14/2021. Signed by Judge Royce C. Lamberth on 5/17/2021. (lcrcl2) (Entered: 05/17/2021)
2021-06-1430Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Brudy-Everett, Kristin) (Entered: 06/14/2021)
2021-06-1631ORDER Status Report due by 7/14/2021. Signed by Judge Royce C. Lamberth on 06/16/2021. (lcrcl2) (Entered: 06/16/2021)
2021-07-0132NOTICE OF SUBSTITUTION OF COUNSEL by Paul Cirino on behalf of U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Substituting for attorney Kristin Brudy-Everett (Cirino, Paul) (Entered: 07/01/2021)
2021-07-0133STIPULATION of Dismissal by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC.. (Burke, Lauren) (Entered: 07/01/2021)
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