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Case TitleAMERICA FIRST LEGAL FOUNDATION v. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DistrictDistrict of Columbia
CityWashington, DC
Case Number1:2023cv01939
Date Filed2023-07-05
Date ClosedOpen
JudgeJudge Loren L. AliKhan
PlaintiffAMERICA FIRST LEGAL FOUNDATION
Case DescriptionAmerica First Legal Foundation submitted nine FOIA requests to the Department of State for records concerning for specified Funding Opportunity Numbers. The agency acknowledged the receipt of the requests but after hearing nothing further from the agency, AFL filed suit.
Complaint issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Adequacy - Search, Litigation - Attorney's fees

DefendantUNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Documents
Docket
Complaint
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Complaint attachment 21
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Complaint attachment 23
Complaint attachment 24
User-contributed Documents
 
Docket Events (Hide)
Date FiledDoc #Docket Text

2023-07-051COMPLAINT against UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE ( Filing fee $ 402 receipt number ADCDC-10182605) filed by AMERICA FIRST LEGAL FOUNDATION. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit, # 2 Exhibit, # 3 Exhibit, # 4 Exhibit, # 5 Exhibit, # 6 Exhibit, # 7 Exhibit, # 8 Exhibit, # 9 Exhibit, # 10 Exhibit, # 11 Exhibit, # 12 Exhibit, # 13 Exhibit, # 14 Exhibit, # 15 Exhibit, # 16 Exhibit, # 17 Exhibit, # 18 Exhibit, # 19 Exhibit, # 20 Exhibit, # 21 Summons, # 22 Summons, # 23 Summons, # 24 Civil Cover Sheet)(Meckler, Jacob) (Entered: 07/05/2023)
2023-07-07Case Assigned to Judge Tanya S. Chutkan. (zsl) (Entered: 07/07/2023)
2023-07-072SUMMONS (3) Issued Electronically as to UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachment: # 1 Notice and Consent)(zsl) (Entered: 07/07/2023)
2023-08-033RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 7/13/2023. Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 8/12/2023. (Meckler, Jacob) (Entered: 08/03/2023)
2023-08-034ENTERED IN ERROR.....RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General 07/10/2023. (Meckler, Jacob) Modified on 8/4/2023 (mg). (Entered: 08/03/2023)
2023-08-035RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE served on 7/10/2023 (Meckler, Jacob) (Entered: 08/03/2023)
2023-08-04NOTICE OF ERROR regarding 4 Summons Returned Executed as to U.S. Attorney General. The following error(s) need correction: Incorrect document. Please refile. (mg) (Entered: 08/04/2023)
2023-08-046RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General 07/10/2023. (Meckler, Jacob) (Entered: 08/04/2023)
2023-08-097NOTICE of Appearance by Stephanie R. Johnson on behalf of UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE (Johnson, Stephanie) (Entered: 08/09/2023)
2023-08-118Consent MOTION for Extension of Time to Respond to Complaint by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Johnson, Stephanie) (Entered: 08/11/2023)
2023-08-11MINUTE ORDER: Defendant's 8 Consent Motion for Extension of Time is hereby GRANTED. Defendant shall respond to Plaintiff's Complaint by September 13, 2023. Signed by Judge Tanya S. Chutkan on 08/11/2023. (lcc) (Entered: 08/11/2023)
2023-08-11Set/Reset Deadline: Defendant shall respond to Plaintiff's Complaint by 9/13/2023. (jth) (Entered: 08/11/2023)
2023-09-139ANSWER to Complaint by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE.(Johnson, Stephanie) (Entered: 09/13/2023)
2023-10-17MINUTE ORDER: Before the Court in this FOIA case are a Complaint and an Answer. The requirements of LCvR 16.3 and Rule 26(f) of the Federal Rules of Civil procedure appear to be inapplicable. IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the parties shall meet and confer and propose a schedule for proceeding in this matter. The schedule shall address the status of Plaintiff's FOIA request, the anticipated number of documents responsive to Plaintiff's FOIA request, the anticipated date(s) for release of the documents requested by Plaintiff, whether a motion for an Open America stay is likely in this case, whether a Vaughn index will be required in this case, whether and when either party anticipates filing a dispositive motion, and any other pertinent issues. The parties shall file a joint status report that addresses these issues no later than November 28, 2023. The joint status report shall be accompanied by a proposed order. Signed by Judge Tanya S. Chutkan on 10/17/23. (lcd) (Entered: 10/17/2023)
2023-10-17Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 11/28/2023. (ztl) (Entered: 11/13/2023)
2023-10-2010NOTICE of Appearance by Michael Ding on behalf of AMERICA FIRST LEGAL FOUNDATION (Ding, Michael) (Entered: 10/20/2023)
2023-11-2811Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Johnson, Stephanie) (Entered: 11/28/2023)
2023-11-29MINUTE ORDER: Upon consideration of the parties' 11 joint status report, it is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall file another joint status report apprising the Court as to the progress in this action by January 29, 2024. Signed by Judge Tanya S. Chutkan on 11/29/2023. (lcd) (Entered: 11/29/2023)
2023-11-29Set/Reset Deadlines: Parties Joint Status Report due by 1/29/2024 (mac) (Entered: 11/29/2023)
2023-12-15Case directly reassigned to Judge Loren L. AliKhan. Judge Tanya S. Chutkan is no longer assigned to the case. (rj) (Entered: 12/15/2023)
2024-01-2912Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Johnson, Stephanie) (Entered: 01/29/2024)
2024-01-30MINUTE ORDER: Upon consideration of the parties' joint status report 12 , it is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall file a joint status report on or before March 15, 2024, and every 45 days thereafter, updating the court on the status of Plaintiff's FOIA request. Signed by Judge Loren L. AliKhan on 01/30/2024. (lclla3) (Entered: 01/30/2024)
2024-01-31Set/Reset Deadlines/Hearings: Joint Status Report due by 3/15/2024. (zcdw) (Entered: 01/31/2024)
2024-03-1513Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Johnson, Stephanie) (Entered: 03/15/2024)
2024-04-2514Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Johnson, Stephanie) (Entered: 04/25/2024)
2024-06-1015Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Johnson, Stephanie) (Entered: 06/10/2024)
2024-07-2416Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Johnson, Stephanie) (Entered: 07/24/2024)
2024-09-0917Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Johnson, Stephanie) (Entered: 09/09/2024)
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