During the month of May 2020 federal district courts saw a total of 70 new Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuits filed under 5 U.S.C. 552. To place this number in perspective, 70 new filings compares with a monthly average of 68 filings during the last 12 months. This month’s total brought overall FOIA filings on an annual basis for these last 12 months to 816.
The figure below provides a more detailed view of monthly trends during the past five years. The height of each bar reflects the number of filings in that month. To see the actual filing count mouse over any bar. The superimposed line over the bars is the moving 12-month average. It is computed by adding up the 12 months ending at a given month, and then dividing that total by 12 to obtain the monthly average over this period. Mousing over any bar also shows the calculated result for this moving average for that given month.
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We have added 89 documents from 9 FOIA cases filed between May 31, 2020 and June 6, 2020. Note that there can be delays between the date a case is filed and when it shows up on PACER. If there are filings from this period that have yet to be posted on PACER, this FOIA Project list may not be complete.
Click on a case title below to view details for that case, including links to the associated docket and complaint documents.
- WP COMPANY LLC v. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY et al (filed Jun 5, 2020)
The Washington Post submitted 11 FOIA requests to the U.S. Secret Service for records concerning costs incurred in protecting the Trump family or its properties. The agency acknowledged receipt of the requests. The Washington Post also submitted 8 FOIA requests to the Department of State for records concerning costs incurred by the agency in staying at various Trump international hotels read more…
We have added 19 decisions of a procedural or substantive nature filed between May 31, 2020 and June 6, 2020. These are associated with 19 FOIA cases pending in federal district court. Note that because there can be delays between the date a decision is made and when it shows up on PACER, this listing includes only decisions that appeared on PACER during this period.
Click on the date to view the full text of the decision. Click on a case title below to view other details for that case, including links to the docket report and complaint.
- CAN 3:2018cv01979 — American Small Business League v. Department of Defense
- June 5, 2020: ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART [166] MOTION TO COMPEL. SIGNED BY JUDGE ALSUP. (whalc2, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 6/5/2020)
We have added 119 documents from 12 FOIA cases filed between May 24, 2020 and May 30, 2020. Note that there can be delays between the date a case is filed and when it shows up on PACER. If there are filings from this period that have yet to be posted on PACER, this FOIA Project list may not be complete.
Click on a case title below to view details for that case, including links to the associated docket and complaint documents.
- CITIZENS FOR RESPONSIBILITY AND ETHICS IN WASHINGTON v. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (filed May 27, 2020)
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington submitted two FOIA requests to Department of Homeland Security for records concerning expenses incurred by U.S. Secret Service in providing protection for Donald Trump Jr. CREW’s first request asked for the cost of security for Trump’s travel to Mongolia in 2019 read more…
We have added 11 decisions of a procedural or substantive nature filed between May 24, 2020 and May 30, 2020. These are associated with 10 FOIA cases pending in federal district court. Note that because there can be delays between the date a decision is made and when it shows up on PACER, this listing includes only decisions that appeared on PACER during this period.
Click on the date to view the full text of the decision. Click on a case title below to view other details for that case, including links to the docket report and complaint.
- DC 1:2014cv00403 — SAI v. TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
- May 29, 2020: MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER granting in part and denying in part Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment, Dkt. [174] , and denying Plaintiff's Motion for Partial Summary Judgment, Dkt. 185. See document for details. Signed by Judge Randolph D. Moss on 5/29/2020. (lcrdm1)
We have added 126 documents from 16 FOIA cases filed between May 17, 2020 and May 23, 2020. Note that there can be delays between the date a case is filed and when it shows up on PACER. If there are filings from this period that have yet to be posted on PACER, this FOIA Project list may not be complete.
Click on a case title below to view details for that case, including links to the associated docket and complaint documents.
- CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY v. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (filed May 19, 2020)
The Center for Biological Diversity submitted a FOIA request to the Department of Treasury for records concerning applications from fossil fuel companies for economic relief under the CARES Act. The agency acknowledged receipt of the request but after hearing nothing further from the agency, CBD filed suit read more…
We have added 11 decisions of a procedural or substantive nature filed between May 17, 2020 and May 23, 2020. These are associated with 10 FOIA cases pending in federal district court. Note that because there can be delays between the date a decision is made and when it shows up on PACER, this listing includes only decisions that appeared on PACER during this period.
Click on the date to view the full text of the decision. Click on a case title below to view other details for that case, including links to the docket report and complaint.
- DC 1:2016cv02465 — RODRIGUEZ v. FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
- May 20, 2020: MEMORANDUM OPINION re: [57] Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment. See attached Memorandum Opinion for further details. Signed by Judge Amit P. Mehta on 05/20/2020. (lcapm3)
During the month of April 2020 federal district courts saw a total of 56 new Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuits filed under 5 U.S.C. 552. To place this number in perspective, 56 new filings compares with a monthly average of 69 filings during the last 12 months. This month’s total brought overall FOIA filings on an annual basis for these last 12 months to 833.
The figure below provides a more detailed view of monthly trends during the past five years. The height of each bar reflects the number of filings in that month. To see the actual filing count mouse over any bar. The superimposed line over the bars is the moving 12-month average. It is computed by adding up the 12 months ending at a given month, and then dividing that total by 12 to obtain the monthly average over this period. Mousing over any bar also shows the calculated result for this moving average for that given month.
read more…
We have added 157 documents from 22 FOIA cases filed between May 10, 2020 and May 16, 2020. Note that there can be delays between the date a case is filed and when it shows up on PACER. If there are filings from this period that have yet to be posted on PACER, this FOIA Project list may not be complete.
Click on a case title below to view details for that case, including links to the associated docket and complaint documents.
- AMERICAN OVERSIGHT v. CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION et al (filed May 15, 2020)
American Oversight filed suit against the Centers for Disease Control, challenging its policy of requiring requesters to narrow their requests before the agency would process them constituted an illegal practice or policy that violated FOIA. read more…
We have added 8 decisions of a procedural or substantive nature filed between May 10, 2020 and May 16, 2020. These are associated with 8 FOIA cases pending in federal district court. Note that because there can be delays between the date a decision is made and when it shows up on PACER, this listing includes only decisions that appeared on PACER during this period.
Click on the date to view the full text of the decision. Click on a case title below to view other details for that case, including links to the docket report and complaint.
- CAN 3:2019cv06150 — Ecological Rights Foundation v. United States Air Force
- May 11, 2020: ORDER OF DISMISSAL. Signed by Judge Vince Chhabria on 5/11/2020. (knm, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 5/11/2020)
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