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Case TitleFUNCTIONAL GOVERNMENT INITIATIVE v. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
DistrictDistrict of Columbia
CityWashington, DC
Case Number1:2023cv00532
Date Filed2023-02-27
Date ClosedOpen
JudgeJudge Sparkle L. Sooknanan
PlaintiffFUNCTIONAL GOVERNMENT INITIATIVE
Case DescriptionFunctional Government Initiative submitted two FOIA requests to the Department of Agriculture for records concerning the application by the U.S. Forest service to the Bureau of Land Management to initiate a 20-year mineral withdrawal of approximately 234,000 acres of federal land in the Superior National Forest. FGI also requested a fee waiver. The agency acknowledged of the receipt. The agency granted FGI media status for fee purposes. However, after hearing nothing further from the agency, FGI filed suit.
Complaint issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Adequacy - Search, Litigation - Vaughn index, Litigation - Attorney's fees

DefendantUNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
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
Complaint attachment 9
Complaint attachment 10
Complaint attachment 11
User-contributed Documents
 
Docket Events (Hide)
Date FiledDoc #Docket Text

2023-02-271COMPLAINT against UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ( Filing fee $ 402 receipt number ADCDC-9887013) filed by FUNCTIONAL GOVERNMENT INITIATIVE. (Attachments: # 1 Civil Cover Sheet Civil Cover Sheet, # 2 Summons USDA Summons, # 3 Summons AG Summons, # 4 Summons US Atty Summons, # 5 Supplement Exhibit List, # 6 Exhibit Ex. 1, # 7 Exhibit Ex. 2, # 8 Exhibit Ex. 3, # 9 Exhibit Ex. 4, # 10 Exhibit Ex. 5, # 11 Exhibit Ex. 6)(Bartkowski, Paul) (Entered: 02/27/2023)
2023-02-28Case Assigned to Judge Timothy J. Kelly. (zcb) (Entered: 02/28/2023)
2023-02-282SUMMONS (3) Issued Electronically as to UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachments: # 1 Notice and Consent)(zcb) (Entered: 02/28/2023)
2023-04-063NOTICE of Appearance by Patricia K. McBride on behalf of UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (McBride, Patricia) (Entered: 04/06/2023)
2023-04-144ANSWER to Complaint by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.(McBride, Patricia) (Entered: 04/14/2023)
2023-04-17MINUTE ORDER: Before the Court in this FOIA case are a complaint and an answer. It is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall meet, confer, and file, by May 8, 2023, a joint proposed schedule for briefing or disclosure. Signed by Judge Timothy J. Kelly on 4/17/2023. (lctjk3) (Entered: 04/17/2023)
2023-04-17Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Proposed Briefing Schedule or Disclosure due by 5/8/2023. (zkh) (Entered: 04/17/2023)
2023-05-085Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. (McBride, Patricia) (Entered: 05/08/2023)
2023-05-09MINUTE ORDER: Upon consideration of the parties' 5 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall file, by July 7, 2023, a further joint status report. Signed by Judge Timothy J. Kelly on 5/9/2023. (lctjk3) (Entered: 05/09/2023)
2023-07-146Consent MOTION for Leave to File JOINT STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. (McBride, Patricia) (Entered: 07/14/2023)
2023-07-17MINUTE ORDER granting the parties' 6 Motion for Leave to File Joint Status Report. Upon consideration of the parties' 6 Motion for Leave to File Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that the motion is GRANTED. Upon consideration of the parties' 6 Joint Status Report, it is further ORDERED that the parties shall file, by September 8, a further joint status report. Signed by Judge Timothy J. Kelly on 7/17/2023. (lctjk3) (Entered: 07/17/2023)
2023-09-067Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. (McBride, Patricia) (Entered: 09/06/2023)
2023-09-12MINUTE ORDER: Upon consideration of the parties' 7 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall file, by November 15, 2023, a further joint status report. Signed by Judge Timothy J. Kelly on 9/12/2023. (lctjk3) (Entered: 09/12/2023)
2023-11-148Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. (McBride, Patricia) (Entered: 11/14/2023)
2023-11-15MINUTE ORDER: Upon consideration of the parties' 8 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall file, by January 15, 2024, a further joint status report. Signed by Judge Timothy J. Kelly on 11/15/2023. (lctjk3) (Entered: 11/15/2023)
2024-01-119Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. (McBride, Patricia) (Entered: 01/11/2024)
2024-01-12MINUTE ORDER: Upon consideration of the parties' 9 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall file, by March 15, 2024, a further joint status report. Signed by Judge Timothy J. Kelly on 1/12/2024. (lctjk3) (Entered: 01/12/2024)
2024-01-12Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 3/15/2024. (zkh) (Entered: 01/12/2024)
2024-03-2810Unopposed MOTION for Leave to File TO FILE JSR by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. (McBride, Patricia) (Entered: 03/28/2024)
2024-03-29MINUTE ORDER: Upon consideration of parties' 10 Motion for Leave to File, it is hereby ORDERED that the motion is GRANTED. It is further ORDERED that the parties shall file, by May 16, 2024, a further joint status report. Signed by Judge Timothy J. Kelly on 3/29/2024. (lctjk3) (Entered: 03/29/2024)
2024-05-1511Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. (McBride, Patricia) (Entered: 05/15/2024)
2024-05-16MINUTE ORDER: Upon consideration of the parties' 11 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall file, by August 8, 2024, a further joint status report. Signed by Judge Timothy J. Kelly on 5/16/2024. (lctjk3) (Entered: 05/16/2024)
2024-06-1412LCvR 26.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by FUNCTIONAL GOVERNMENT INITIATIVE (Bartkowski, Paul) (Entered: 06/14/2024)
2024-06-1413NOTICE re 12 LCvR 26.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests (Bartkowski, Paul) Modified event on 6/17/2024 (znmw). (Entered: 06/14/2024)
2024-08-0714Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. (McBride, Patricia) (Entered: 08/07/2024)
2024-08-08MINUTE ORDER: Upon consideration of the parties' 14 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall file, by October 11, 2024, a further joint status report. Signed by Judge Timothy J. Kelly on 8/8/2024. (lctjk3) (Entered: 08/08/2024)
2024-10-1015Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. (Adebonojo, Kenneth) (Entered: 10/10/2024)
2024-10-15MINUTE ORDER: Upon consideration of the parties' 15 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall, by November 15, 2024, submit a further joint status report. Signed by Judge Timothy J. Kelly on 10/15/2024. (lctjk3) (Entered: 10/15/2024)
2024-10-1716NOTICE OF WITHDRAWAL OF APPEARANCE as to UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. Attorney Patricia K. McBride terminated. (McBride, Patricia) (Entered: 10/17/2024)
2024-11-19MINUTE ORDER: On October 15, 2024, the Court ordered the parties to submit a joint status report in this FOIA case by November 15, 2024. Two days after that order, Defendant's attorney filed a notice of withdrawal of appearance, and the docket reflects that Defendant is not represented by any attorney. It is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall file, by December 10, 2024, a joint status report. The Clerk of Court is instructed to email this Order to the Chief of the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, Brian Hudak, at Brian.Hudak@usdoj.gov. Signed by Judge Timothy J. Kelly on 11/19/2024. (lctjk3) (Entered: 11/19/2024)
2024-11-1917NOTICE of Appearance by Kenneth A. Adebonojo on behalf of UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (Adebonojo, Kenneth) (Entered: 11/19/2024)
2024-12-1018Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. (Adebonojo, Kenneth) (Entered: 12/10/2024)
2024-12-11MINUTE ORDER: Upon consideration of the parties' 18 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall file, by January 28, 2025, a further joint status report, unless a stipulation of dismissal is filed before then. Signed by Judge Timothy J. Kelly on 12/11/2024. (lctjk3) (Entered: 12/11/2024)
2025-01-08Case directly reassigned to Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan. Judge Timothy J. Kelly is no longer assigned to the case. (ztnr) (Entered: 01/08/2025)
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