Skip to content

Case Detail

[Subscribe to updates]
Case TitleWESTERN VALUES PROJECT v. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
DistrictDistrict of Columbia
CityWashington, DC
Case Number1:2020cv00594
Date Filed2020-02-28
Date Closed2021-09-02
JudgeJudge Thomas F. Hogan
PlaintiffWESTERN VALUES PROJECT
Case DescriptionWestern Values Project submitted seven FOIA requests to the Department of Interior for records concerning communications to or from Secretary David Bernhardt's government or personal accounts. The agency acknowledged receipt of the requests but after hearing nothing further from the agency, Western Values Project filed suit.
Complaint issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Adequacy - Search, Litigation - Attorney's fees

DefendantU.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
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

2020-02-281COMPLAINT against U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR ( Filing fee $ 400 receipt number ADCDC-6873987) filed by WESTERN VALUES PROJECT. (Attachments: # 1 Civil Cover Sheet, # 2 Summons USAO, # 3 Summons U.S. Att'y General, # 4 Summons Dep't of the Interior)(Wood, Hart) (Entered: 02/28/2020)
2020-02-282LCvR 26.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by WESTERN VALUES PROJECT (Wood, Hart) (Entered: 02/28/2020)
2020-02-28Case Assigned to Judge Thomas F. Hogan. (adh, ) (Entered: 02/28/2020)
2020-02-283SUMMONS (3) Issued Electronically as to U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachment: # 1 Notice and Consent)(adh, ) (Entered: 02/28/2020)
2020-04-064ANSWER to Complaint by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR.(Pfaffenroth, Peter) (Entered: 04/06/2020)
2020-04-06MINUTE ORDER requiring the parties to confer and file a joint status report proposing a schedule for further proceedings. The status report should address the status of the plaintiff's FOIA request, including the anticipated number of documents responsive to the request, and the anticipated date(s) for the release of requested documents that are still being processed, if any. The parties shall file the joint status report on or before April 30, 2020. Signed by Judge Thomas F. Hogan on April 6, 2020. (CR) (Entered: 04/06/2020)
2020-04-06Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 4/30/2020 (hs) (Entered: 04/06/2020)
2020-04-305Joint STATUS REPORT by WESTERN VALUES PROJECT. (Wood, Hart) (Entered: 04/30/2020)
2020-04-30MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' 5 Joint Status Report, it is ORDERED that the parties shall file a further Joint Status Report by June 30, 2020. Signed by Judge Thomas F. Hogan on April 30, 2020. (CR) (Entered: 04/30/2020)
2020-05-01Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 6/30/2020 (hs) (Entered: 05/01/2020)
2020-06-306Joint STATUS REPORT by WESTERN VALUES PROJECT. (Wood, Hart) (Entered: 06/30/2020)
2020-06-30MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' 6 Joint Status Report, it is ORDERED that the parties shall file a further Joint Status Report by July 31, 2020. Signed by Judge Thomas F. Hogan on June 30, 2020. (CR) (Entered: 06/30/2020)
2020-07-317Joint STATUS REPORT by WESTERN VALUES PROJECT. (Wood, Hart) (Entered: 07/31/2020)
2020-08-01MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' 7 Joint Status Report, it is ORDERED that the parties shall file a further Joint Status Report by September 15, 2020. Signed by Judge Thomas F. Hogan on August 1, 2020. (CR) (Entered: 08/01/2020)
2020-08-03Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 9/15/2020 (hs) (Entered: 08/03/2020)
2020-09-098NOTICE OF SUBSTITUTION OF COUNSEL by Brenda A. Gonzalez on behalf of U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Substituting for attorney Peter C. Pfaffenroth (Gonzalez, Brenda) (Entered: 09/09/2020)
2020-09-159Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR. (Gonzalez, Brenda) (Entered: 09/15/2020)
2020-09-15MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' 9 Joint Status Report, it is ORDERED that the parties shall file a further Joint Status Report by October 30, 2020. Signed by Judge Thomas F. Hogan on September 15, 2020. (CR) (Entered: 09/15/2020)
2020-09-16Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 10/30/2020 (hs) (Entered: 09/16/2020)
2020-10-3010Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR. (Gonzalez-Horowitz, Brenda) (Entered: 10/30/2020)
2020-11-02MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' 10 Joint Status Report, it is ORDERED that the parties shall file a further Joint Status Report by November 30, 2020. Signed by Judge Thomas F. Hogan on November 2, 2020. (CR) (Entered: 11/02/2020)
2020-11-02Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 11/30/2020 (hs) (Entered: 11/02/2020)
2020-11-3011Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR. (Gonzalez-Horowitz, Brenda) (Entered: 11/30/2020)
2020-12-01MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' 11 Joint Status Report, it is ORDERED that the parties shall file a further Joint Status Report by January 4, 2021. Signed by Judge Thomas F. Hogan on December 1, 2020. (CR) (Entered: 12/01/2020)
2020-12-01Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 1/4/2021 (hs) (Entered: 12/01/2020)
2021-01-0412Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR. (Gonzalez-Horowitz, Brenda) (Entered: 01/04/2021)
2021-01-05MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' 12 Joint Status Report, it is ORDERED that the parties shall file a further Joint Status Report by February 2, 2021. Signed by Judge Thomas F. Hogan on January 5, 2021. (CR) (Entered: 01/05/2021)
2021-01-05Set/Reset Deadlines: Status Report due by 2/2/2021 (tj) (Entered: 01/05/2021)
2021-02-0213Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR. (Gonzalez-Horowitz, Brenda) (Entered: 02/02/2021)
2021-02-03MINUTE ORDER: Upon consideration of the parties' 13 Joint Status Report, it is ORDERED that the parties shall file a further Joint Status Report by March 3, 2021. Signed by Judge Thomas F. Hogan on February 3, 2021. (JRM). (Entered: 02/03/2021)
2021-02-03Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 3/3/2021 (hs) (Entered: 02/03/2021)
2021-03-0314Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR. (Gonzalez-Horowitz, Brenda) (Entered: 03/03/2021)
2021-03-05MINUTE ORDER: Upon consideration of the parties' 14 Joint Status Report, it is ORDERED that the parties shall file a further Joint Status Report by May 3, 2021. Signed by Judge Thomas F. Hogan on March 5, 2021. (JRM) (Entered: 03/05/2021)
2021-03-05Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 5/3/2021 (hs) (Entered: 03/05/2021)
2021-05-0315Joint STATUS REPORT by WESTERN VALUES PROJECT. (Wood, Hart) (Entered: 05/03/2021)
2021-05-04MINUTE ORDER: Upon consideration of the parties' 15 Joint Status Report, it is ORDERED that the parties shall file a further Joint Status Report by July 2, 2021. Signed by Judge Thomas F. Hogan on May 4, 2021. (CR) (Entered: 05/04/2021)
2021-05-04Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 7/2/2021 (hs) (Entered: 05/04/2021)
2021-07-0216Joint STATUS REPORT by WESTERN VALUES PROJECT. (Wood, Hart) (Entered: 07/02/2021)
2021-07-06MINUTE ORDER: Upon consideration of the parties' 16 Joint Status Report, it is ORDERED that the parties shall file a further Joint Status Report by September 2, 2021. Signed by Judge Thomas F. Hogan on July 6, 2021. (CR) (Entered: 07/06/2021)
2021-07-06Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 9/2/2021 (hs) (Entered: 07/06/2021)
2021-09-0217STIPULATION of Dismissal by WESTERN VALUES PROJECT. (Wood, Hart) (Entered: 09/02/2021)
Hide Docket Events
by FOIA Project Staff
Skip to toolbar