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Case TitleAMERICAN CENTER FOR LAW AND JUSTICE v. FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
DistrictDistrict of Columbia
CityWashington, DC
Case Number1:2022cv03711
Date Filed2022-12-13
Date ClosedOpen
JudgeJudge Tanya S. Chutkan
PlaintiffAMERICAN CENTER FOR LAW AND JUSTICE
Case DescriptionAmerican Center for Law and Justice submitted a FOIA request to the FBI for records concerning the agency's interactions with social media platforms, including stories about Hunter Biden. The agency acknowledged of the request. The agency invoked a Glomar response neither confirming nor denying the existence of records because of the inclusion of third-party identifiers. ACLJ filed an administrative appeal of the Glomar response. After hearing nothing further from the agency, ACLJ filed suit.
Complaint issues: Litigation - Attorney's fees, Adequacy - Search, Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Litigation - Vaughn index

DefendantFEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
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
User-contributed Documents
 
Docket Events (Hide)
Date FiledDoc #Docket Text

2022-12-131COMPLAINT against FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION ( Filing fee $ 402 receipt number ADCDC-9730162) filed by AMERICAN CENTER FOR LAW AND JUSTICE. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit A --- FOIA Request, # 2 Exhibit B --- Proof of Delivery, # 3 Exhibit C --- Acknowledgement, # 4 Exhibit D --- Determination, # 5 Exhibit E --- Administrative Appeal, # 6 Exhibit F --- Proof of Filing, # 7 Civil Cover Sheet, # 8 Summons, # 9 Summons, # 10 Summons)(Monaghan, John) (Attachment 7 replaced on 12/13/2022) (zljn). (Entered: 12/13/2022)
2022-12-132LCvR 26.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by AMERICAN CENTER FOR LAW AND JUSTICE (Monaghan, John) (Entered: 12/13/2022)
2022-12-13Case Assigned to Judge Tanya S. Chutkan. (zljn) (Entered: 12/13/2022)
2022-12-133SUMMONS (3) Issued Electronically as to FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachments: # 1 Notice and Consent)(zljn) (Entered: 12/13/2022)
2022-12-204NOTICE of Appearance by Benjamin Paul Sisney on behalf of AMERICAN CENTER FOR LAW AND JUSTICE (Sisney, Benjamin) (Entered: 12/20/2022)
2022-12-205NOTICE of Appearance by John Monaghan on behalf of AMERICAN CENTER FOR LAW AND JUSTICE (Monaghan, John) (Entered: 12/20/2022)
2023-01-206RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION served on 1/19/2023 (Monaghan, John) (Entered: 01/20/2023)
2023-01-207RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General 01/19/2023. (Monaghan, John) (Entered: 01/20/2023)
2023-01-208RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 1/19/2023. Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 2/18/2023. (Monaghan, John) (Entered: 01/20/2023)
2023-02-219ANSWER to Complaint by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION.(Lowry, Faith) (Entered: 02/21/2023)
2023-03-01VACATED PURSUANT TO MINUTE ORDER FILED ON 04/18/23.....MINUTE 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 3/30/2023. The joint status report shall be accompanied by a proposed order. Signed by Judge Tanya S. Chutkan on 3/1/23. (lcsr) Modified on 4/20/2023 (tb). (Entered: 03/01/2023)
2023-03-02Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 3/30/2023. (tb) (Entered: 03/02/2023)
2023-03-08Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 3/30/2023. (tb) (Entered: 03/08/2023)
2023-03-3010Joint MOTION to Vacate Minute Order , Joint MOTION for Scheduling Order on Joint Status Report by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Lowry, Faith) (Entered: 03/30/2023)
2023-04-18MINUTE ORDER: Granting 10 Joint Motion to Vacate 3/1/23 Minute Order. The parties shall file a joint status report updating the court on the status of the case by 6/29/23. The joint status report shall be accompanied by a proposed order. Signed by Judge Tanya S. Chutkan on 4/18/23. (lcsr) (Entered: 04/18/2023)
2023-06-2911NOTICE OF SUBSTITUTION OF COUNSEL by Bonnie Devany on behalf of FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION Substituting for attorney Faith Lowry (Devany, Bonnie) (Entered: 06/29/2023)
2023-06-2912Joint STATUS REPORT by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION. (Devany, Bonnie) (Entered: 06/29/2023)
2023-06-30MINUTE ORDER: Upon consideration of the Joint Status Report 12 , the court hereby defers the entry of a briefing schedule at this time. The parties shall file another Joint Status Report by July 30, 2023, and every 30 days thereafter, advising the court on the status of the case. To the extent that the parties propose a change in deadlines or other court action, the Report shall be accompanied by a proposed order. Signed by Judge Tanya S. Chutkan on 6/30/23. (lcsr) (Entered: 06/30/2023)
2023-06-30AMENDED MINUTE ORDER: Upon consideration of the Joint Status Report 12 , the court hereby defers the entry of a briefing schedule at this time. The parties shall file another Joint Status Report by September 27, 2023, and every 60 days thereafter, advising the court on the status of the case. To the extent that the parties propose a change in deadlines or other court action, the Report shall be accompanied by a proposed order. Signed by Judge Tanya S. Chutkan on 6/30/23. (lcsr) (Entered: 06/30/2023)
2023-06-30Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 9/27/2023. (zsmc) (Entered: 06/30/2023)
2023-09-2713Joint STATUS REPORT by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION. (Devany, Bonnie) (Entered: 09/27/2023)
2023-11-2714Joint STATUS REPORT by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION. (Devany, Bonnie) (Entered: 11/27/2023)
2024-01-2715STATUS REPORT by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION. (Devany, Bonnie) (Entered: 01/27/2024)
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by FOIA Project Staff
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