Latest Update

The District Court granted the Department of Justice’s motion and entered summary judgment in its favor, in a separate order. Read the memorandum below.

CREW filed a lawsuit on April 4, 2017 against the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) for neglecting to release previously requested records concerning Attorney General Jeff Sessions’s decision to recuse from the Russia investigation. Read the initial FOIA request here.

On July 7, 2017 CREW received a response from the Department of Justice which included some of the requested records. Read the response here.

Lawsuit Documents

  • Complaint
    April 4, 2017
    Read here
  • DOJ's Answer to Plaintiff's Complaint
    May 17, 2017
    Read here
  • CREW's Motion for a Preliminary Injunction
    June 1, 2017
    Read here
  • Exhibits
    June 1, 2017
    Read here
  • Memo in Support of Plaintiff's Injunction
    Memorandum in Support of Plaintiff's Motion for A Preliminary Injunction  - June 1, 2017
    Read here
  • Defendant's Opposition to CREW's Motion
    Defendant's Opposition to CREW's Motion for Preliminary Injunction - June 8, 2017
    Read here
  • Exhibit 1 (ex. Dec. of Vanessa R. Brinkmann)
    June 8, 2017
    Read here
  • Exhibit 2
    June 8, 2017
    Read here
  • Exhibit 3
    June 8, 2017
    Read here
  • Exhibit 4
    June 8, 2017
    Read here
  • Exhibit 5
    June 8, 2017
    Read here
  • Exhibit 6
    June 8, 2017
    Read here
  • Plaintiff's Reply in Support of Prelim. Inj.
    Plaintiff's Reply in Support of Motion for a Preliminary Injunction - June 14, 2017
    Read here
  • Exhibits to Plaintiff's Reply
    June 14, 2017
    Read here
  • Joint Status Report
    June 21, 2017
    Read here
  • Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgement
    August 8, 2017
    Read here
  • Defendant's Memorandum Law
    Defendant's Memorandum Law in Support of Motion for Summary Judgement - August 8, 2017
    Read here
  • Exhibits to Defendant's Memorandum
    August 8, 2017
    Read here
  • Plaintiff's Opp. to Defendant's Motion
    Plaintiff's Opposition to Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgement - August 25, 2017
    Read here
  • Plaintiff's Statement of Material Facts
    August 28, 2017
    Read here
  • Defendant's Reply in Support of Motion for SJ
    Defendant's Reply in Support of Motion for Summary Judgement - September 18, 2017
    Read here
  • Exhibit 1 Defendant's Reply (Daniel Castellano)
    Exhibit 1 to Defendant's Reply (Ex. Declaration. of Daniel Castellano) - September 18, 2017
    Read here
  • Defendant's Response to Stmt. of Material Facts
    Defendant's Response to Plaintiff's Statement of Material Facts - September 18, 2017
    Read here
  • Order Granting Defendant's Motion for Sum. Judg.
    Order Granting Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgement - February 15, 2018
    Read here
  • Memorandum
    February 15, 2018
    Read here

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