Skip to content

Case Detail

[Subscribe to updates]
Case TitlePROJECT FOR PRIVACY AND SURVEILLANCE ACCOUNTABILITY, INC. v. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
DistrictDistrict of Columbia
CityWashington, DC
Case Number1:2024cv01940
Date Filed2024-07-02
Date ClosedOpen
JudgeJudge Rudolph Contreras
PlaintiffPROJECT FOR PRIVACY AND SURVEILLANCE ACCOUNTABILITY, INC.
Case DescriptionProject for Privacy and Surveillance Accountability submitted a FOIA request to the FBI for records concerning the agency's use of Section 702 of FISA to surveil people attending a Trump rally or a Black Lives Matter rally. The agency acknowledged receipt of the request. The agency told PPSA that it could search for responsive records. PPSA then filed an administrative appeal. After hearing nothing further from the agency, PPSA filed suit.
Complaint issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Adequacy - Search, Litigation - Vaughn index, Litigation - Attorney's fees

DefendantUNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Documents
Docket
Complaint
Complaint attachment 1
Complaint attachment 2
Complaint attachment 3
Complaint attachment 4
Complaint attachment 5
Complaint attachment 6
Complaint attachment 7
Complaint attachment 8
User-contributed Documents
 
Docket Events (Hide)
Date FiledDoc #Docket Text

2024-07-021COMPLAINT against UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ( Filing fee $ 405 receipt number ADCDC-11001597) filed by PROJECT FOR PRIVACY AND SURVEILLANCE ACCOUNTABILITY, INC.. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit 1: PPSA's FOIA Request 2/5/24, # 2 Exhibit 2: FBI FOIA Response 2/16/24, # 3 Exhibit 3: PPSA's FOIA Appeal 3/14/24, # 4 Exhibit 4: FBI-OIP FOIA Appeal Acknowledgment 3/14/24, # 5 Civil Cover Sheet, # 6 Summons U.S. Attorney's Office D.C., # 7 Summons M. Garland, US Attorney General, # 8 Summons Dep't of Justice)(Schaerr, Gene) (Entered: 07/02/2024)
2024-07-022LCvR 26.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by PROJECT FOR PRIVACY AND SURVEILLANCE ACCOUNTABILITY, INC. (Schaerr, Gene) (Entered: 07/02/2024)
2024-07-023NOTICE of Appearance by Brian J. Field on behalf of PROJECT FOR PRIVACY AND SURVEILLANCE ACCOUNTABILITY, INC. (Field, Brian) (Entered: 07/02/2024)
2024-07-03Case Assigned to Judge Rudolph Contreras. (zmtm) (Entered: 07/03/2024)
2024-07-034SUMMONS (3) Issued Electronically as to UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachments: # 1 Notice and Consent)(zmtm) (Entered: 07/03/2024)
2024-07-155RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 7/3/2024. Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 8/2/2024. (Attachments: # 1 Declaration of K. Robinson with Exhibits)(Schaerr, Gene) (Entered: 07/15/2024)
2024-07-156RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General 07/11/2024. (Attachments: # 1 Declaration of K. Robinson with Exhibits)(Schaerr, Gene) (Entered: 07/15/2024)
2024-07-157RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE served on 7/11/2024 (Attachments: # 1 Declaration of K. Robinson with Exhibits)(Schaerr, Gene) (Entered: 07/15/2024)
2024-08-028Consent MOTION for Extension of Time to Respond to Complaint by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Ontell, Joshua) (Entered: 08/02/2024)
2024-08-02MINUTE ORDER granting 8 Motion for Extension of Time to Respond to Complaint: It is hereby ORDERED that Defendant shall answer or otherwise respond to the Complaint on or before September 4, 2024. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Rudolph Contreras on 8/2/2024. (lcrc3) (Entered: 08/02/2024)
2024-08-13Set/Reset Deadlines: Answer due by 9/4/2024 (tj) (Entered: 08/13/2024)
2024-09-049ANSWER to Complaint by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.(Ontell, Joshua) (Entered: 09/04/2024)
2024-09-04MINUTE ORDER: It is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall meet, confer, and jointly submit a proposed briefing schedule on or before September 18, 2024. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Rudolph Contreras on 9/4/2024. (lcrc3) (Entered: 09/04/2024)
2024-09-1810Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Ontell, Joshua) (Entered: 09/18/2024)
2024-09-18MINUTE ORDER: Upon consideration of 10 the parties' joint status report, it is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall submit another joint status report on or before October 21, 2024. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Rudolph Contreras on 9/18/2024. (lcrc3) (Entered: 09/18/2024)
2024-10-2111Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Ontell, Joshua) (Entered: 10/21/2024)
2024-10-22MINUTE ORDER: Upon consideration of 11 the parties' joint status report, it is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall submit another joint status report on or before November 20, 2024. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Rudolph Contreras on 10/22/2024. (lcrc3) (Entered: 10/22/2024)
2024-11-2112NOTICE of Appearance by Dimitar Georgiev-Remmel on behalf of UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (Georgiev-Remmel, Dimitar) (Entered: 11/21/2024)
2024-11-2113Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Georgiev-Remmel, Dimitar) (Entered: 11/21/2024)
2024-11-22MINUTE ORDER: Upon consideration of 13 the parties' joint status report, it is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall submit another joint status report on or before December 20, 2024. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Rudolph Contreras on 11/22/2024. (lcrc3) (Entered: 11/22/2024)
2024-12-1814Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Georgiev-Remmel, Dimitar) (Entered: 12/18/2024)
2024-12-19MINUTE ORDER: Upon consideration of 14 the parties' Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that the following schedule shall govern briefing in this case: Defendant shall file its motion for summary judgment on or before April 11, 2025; Plaintiff shall file its opposition and cross-motion for summary judgment on or before May 23, 2025; Defendant shall file its reply and cross-opposition on or before June 18, 2025; and Plaintiff shall file its reply on or before July 16, 2025. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Rudolph Contreras on 12/19/2024. (lcrc3) (Entered: 12/19/2024)
2025-03-2715NOTICE OF WITHDRAWAL OF APPEARANCE as to UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. Attorney Joshua Ontell terminated. (Ontell, Joshua) (Entered: 03/27/2025)
2025-04-1116MOTION for Summary Judgment by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Attachments: # 1 Statement of Facts, # 2 Declaration)(Georgiev-Remmel, Dimitar) (Entered: 04/11/2025)
2025-05-13Set/Reset Deadlines: Response to Motion for Summary Judgment due by 5/23/2025. Reply to Motion for Summary Judgment due by 6/18/2025. Cross Motions due by 5/23/2025. Response to Cross Motions due by 6/18/2025. Reply to Cross Motions due by 7/16/2025. (tj) (Entered: 05/13/2025)
2025-05-2317RESPONSE re 16 MOTION for Summary Judgment filed by PROJECT FOR PRIVACY AND SURVEILLANCE ACCOUNTABILITY, INC.. (Attachments: # 1 Memorandum in Support, # 2 Statement of Facts, # 3 Exhibit A: PPSA FOIA Request 2/5/24, # 4 Exhibit B: FBI Response 2/16/24, # 5 Exhibit C: PPSA FOIA Appeal 3/14/24, # 6 Exhibit D: Unclassified Report, # 7 Text of Proposed Order)(Schaerr, Gene) (Entered: 05/23/2025)
2025-05-2318Cross MOTION for Summary Judgment by PROJECT FOR PRIVACY AND SURVEILLANCE ACCOUNTABILITY, INC.. (Attachments: # 1 Memorandum in Support, # 2 Statement of Facts, # 3 Exhibit A: PPSA FOIA Request 2/5/24, # 4 Exhibit B: FBI Response 2/16/24, # 5 Exhibit C: PPSA FOIA Appeal 3/14/24, # 6 Exhibit D: Unclassified Report, # 7 Text of Proposed Order)(Schaerr, Gene) (Entered: 05/23/2025)
2025-06-1819REPLY to opposition to motion re 16 Motion for Summary Judgment filed by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Attachments: # 1 Statement of Facts)(Georgiev-Remmel, Dimitar) Modified to remove link on 6/20/2025 (znmw). (Entered: 06/18/2025)
2025-06-1820Memorandum in opposition to re 18 Cross MOTION for Summary Judgment filed by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (See Docket Entry 19 to view document). (znmw) (Entered: 06/20/2025)
2025-07-0821Unopposed MOTION for Extension of Time to File Response/Reply as to 18 Cross MOTION for Summary Judgment by PROJECT FOR PRIVACY AND SURVEILLANCE ACCOUNTABILITY, INC.. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Schaerr, Gene) (Entered: 07/08/2025)
2025-07-08MINUTE ORDER granting 21 Plaintiff's Unopposed Motion for Extension of Time: It is hereby ORDERED that Plaintiff shall file its reply in support of its cross-motion for summary judgment on or before August 6, 2025. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Rudolph Contreras on 07/08/2025. (lcrc3) (Entered: 07/08/2025)
2025-07-16Set/Reset Deadlines: Reply due by 8/6/2025. (tj) (Entered: 07/16/2025)
2025-07-3022NOTICE of Errata (Technological Error on p.18) by PROJECT FOR PRIVACY AND SURVEILLANCE ACCOUNTABILITY, INC. re 17 Response to motion, 18 Motion for Summary Judgment, (Schaerr, Gene) (Entered: 07/30/2025)
Hide Docket Events
by FOIA Project Staff
Skip to toolbar