Law

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice for records regarding Jeffrey Epstein, including any records on the identities of clients or associates of Epstein (Judicial Watch Inc. v. U.S. Department of Justice (No. 1:25-cv-01056)). Judicial Watch sued the Justice Department after it failed to adequately respond to four separate FOIA requests for records concerning Jeffrey Epstein, including a specific request for records “depicting the identities of clients or associates of Jeffrey Epstein.” Epstein document requests were sent to the Justice Department’s Office of Information Policy, the..

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for emails of Dena Perkins, a section chief of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), regarding whistleblower retaliation (Judicial Watch Inc. v. U.S. Department of Justice (No, 1:25-cv-00891)). Perkins was identified by Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, as an official who retaliated against whistleblowers who were considered pro-Donald Trump: So, now I’m going to spend some time sharing statements from the whistleblowers who were retaliated against by some of the FBI officials Trump has recently fired...

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of State for records on grants made by the Biden State Department to various Hungarian media outlets and educational organizations opposing conservative Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of State (No. 1:25-cv-00836)). Judicial Watch filed the lawsuit after the State Department failed to respond to a January 29, 2025, FOIA request for: All records regarding any grants provided under the Independent Media Support Fund/Free Media Grant Program to any organization or individual in Hungary. This request includes, but is not lim..

Kentucky Removes 735,000 from Voter Rolls since 2019, NYC Removals Now Total 918,139 (Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that its analysis and use of voter registration lists has led to lawsuits and legal actions under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) that have resulted in the removal of five million names from voter rolls in nearly a dozen states and localities over the last several years. Recently, the Commonwealth of Kentucky reported that 735,000 ineligible voter registrations have been removed from its voter rolls since 2019 by the State Board of Elections as part of its 2018 consent decree settling a lawsuit by Judicial Watch. As part of its 2022 settlement, N..

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice for details of any investigations, inquiries, or referrals concerning potential misconduct of any person working for Special Counsel Jack Smith (Judicial Watch Inc. v U.S. Department of Justice (No. 1:25-cv-00801)). Judicial Watch sued after the Justice Department failed to respond to two FOIA requests on December 5, 2024, sent to the Office of Professional Responsibility and the Office of Information Policy requesting: Records and / or communications about any investigations, inquiries, or referrals concerning potential misconduct of any person..

(Washington, DC)–Judicial Watch announced today it received 22 pagesof records in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, revealing that while Joe Biden was vice president for Barack Obama his German Shepherd, Champ, attacked his U.S. Secret Service protective detail. Judicial Watch earlier received Secret Service documents through FOIA lawsuits documenting that the two German Shepherddogs he owned while president, Major and Commander, attacked two dozen Secret Service and White House personnel. Judicial Watch received the documents in a June 18, 2024, FOIA request to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for Secret Service records: Any and all records related to incide..

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today it filed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuits against the U.S. Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security for records regarding Christina Bobb, a former lawyer for President Trump. Judicial Watch also announced that Bobb has joined the litigation team at Judicial Watch. Judicial Watch sued the Justice Department after the FBI failed to respond to a January 24, 2025, FOIA request for records about Bobb (Judicial Watch Inc. v. U.S. Department of Justice (No. 1:25-cv-00588)). Among other records, the lawsuit seeks all related investigative reports, intelligence products, or similar records, as well as all records of commun..

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch today announced that District Court Judge Matthew J. Maddox of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland struck down a Maryland State Board of Elections regulation that restricted and criminalized the use of voter registration lists for voter fraud and other “investigations.” Citing a separate Judicial Watch court victory in Maryland that opened up voter rolls to public scrutiny under federal law, the court recognized that restricting the use of the state’s voter rolls presented an obstacle to upholding federal voter roll maintenance as required by the National Voter Registration Act’s (NVRA). This ruling comes in the case Katherine Stra..

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for records related to security provided for the July 13, 2024, rally in Butler, PA, during which there was an assassination attempt on President Trump (Judicial Watch Inc. v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security (No. 1:25-cv-00704)). The lawsuit was filed after the agency failed to comply with a July 15, 2024, FOIA request to for: All records, including emails, email chains, email attachments, text messages, video or audio recordings, photographs, outlook calendars, meeting minutes, correspondence, statements, letters, memoranda..

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit declined to rehear its previous ruling, in which it agreed with Judicial Watch that it was unlawful for Mississippi to count ballots that arrived after Election Day. The full Circuit declined to hear the case by a vote of 5 to 10. Judicial Watch filed a civil rights lawsuit in February 2024, challenging the Mississippi election law on behalf of the Libertarian Party of Mississippi (Libertarian Party of Mississippi v Wetzel et al.(No. 1:24-cv-00037)). The suit was consolidated with one filed by the Republican National Committee, the Mississippi Republican Party, and other complainants. (Ju..

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that it filed a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) lawsuit against the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for records about the seizure, testing and euthanizing of a squirrel named “Peanut” and a raccoon named “Fred” belonging to Pine City, New York, resident Mark Longo (Judicial Watch Inc. v Sean Mahar, Interim Commissioner, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (No. 902596-25)). Judicial Watch filed suit in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Albany County, after the Department of Environmental Conservation failed to comply with two FOIL requests for written and video records related t..

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that it filed a federal lawsuit against California on behalf of U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa to prevent state election officials from extending Election Day for seven days beyond the date established by federal law (Darrell Issa v. Shirley N. Weber, in her official capacity). California counts ballots received up to seven days after Election Day. Judicial Watch argues that California’s election law violates federal law, which defines Election Day as “the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of every even-numbered year.” This lawsuit against California builds on an October 25, 2024, Judicial Watch landmark victory against Mississ..

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis was ordered to turn over 212 pages of records to a state court judge. The court also ordered Willis to detail how the records were found and the reason for withholding them from the public. The records were belatedly found in response to a Judicial Watch request and lawsuit for communications with Special Counsel Jack Smith and the House January 6 Committee. The court order was issued on March 7 in a Judicial Watch lawsuit filed after Willis falsely denied having any records responsive to Judicial Watch’s earlier Georgia Open Records Act (ORA) request for communications with Special Counsel Jack ..

(Washington, DC)– Judicial Watch announced today that it filed a petition for a writ of certiorari in the United States Supreme Court concerning a Judicial Watch lawsuit asserting that the California Secretary of State retaliated against Judicial Watch because of an accurate election integrity video posted to YouTube just before the 2020 Election (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. Shirley Weber, in her official capacity as Secretary of State of the State of California (No. 2:22-cv-06894)). The California Secretary of State used its well-established working relationship with Big Tech to have YouTube remove and censor Judicial Watch’s video. Judicial Watch filed the lawsuit in September 2022. On Sep..

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today it sent a letter to Lt. Governor Deidre M. Henderson, notifying her that Utah is currently in violation of federal the National Voter Registration Act of 1993’s (NVRA) public disclosure requirements. The notice letter warns of a lawsuit after 90 days if the issues are not resolved. Judicial Watch explains that the NVRA was intended both to “increase the number of eligible citizens who register” and “to protect the integrity of the electoral process’ and ‘ensure that accurate and current voter registration rolls are maintained.” It requires states to maintain “for at least 2 years” and “make available for public inspectio..

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today it received 115 pages in this first production of records in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) which show the Biden administration, following the Dobbs decision which overturned Roe v. Wade, considered declaring a “public health emergency” and using federal lands to provide abortion services. The records also show that millions of taxpayer dollars were used to establish an office to protect against “grave health threats” allegedly caused by climate change, and for facilitating then-Assistant Secretary Rachel Levine’s extreme focus on LGBT and “gender-affirm..

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for records regarding Minnesota governor and 2024 Democrat vice presidential candidate Tim Walz’s connections to the Chinese Communist Party (Judicial Watch Inc. v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security (No. 1:25-cv-00625)). Judicial Watch sued after Homeland Security failed to respond to an October 29, 2024, FOIA request for: All documents and communications in the DHS Microsoft Teams group chat “NST NFT Bi-Weekly Sync” from July 1, 2024, to present, including all accompanying, uploaded, or imbedded attachments and documents, re..

Court Hearing Scheduled March 7, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. ET (Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) continues to hide the identities of recipients of $27 million in grants awarded to “Miscellaneous Foreign Awardees” that were designated for use in Gaza. A status conference on the lawsuit is scheduled for March 7, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. ET before Judge Reggie B. Walton of U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia. On October 7, 2023, Hamas—a U.S.-designated terrorist organization—invaded southwest Israel, killing over a thousand people and kidnapping hundreds of others. Judicial Watch sued in July 2024 after ..

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today the Washington, DC, Metropolitan Police Department wants to charge the non-profit over $1,570,500 for local police bodycam footage of the January 6 protests. Judicial Watch filed June 2024 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia after the Metropolitan Police Department denied an August 2021 FOIA request (Judicial Watch v. District of Columbia(No. 2024-CAB-003453)). Judicial Watch is asking for: All audio/video recordings captured on body-worn cameras from MPD officers during their response to protest activities in and around the Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2021; and All body worn cam..

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for records regarding waste, fraud and abuse tied to aid money sent to Ukraine (Judicial Watch Inc. v. U.S. Agency for International Development (No. 1:25-cv-00508)). Judicial Watch’s FOIA requests include a demand records of USAID’s then-Administrator Samantha Power and others regarding: 1) any reported allegations of sexual exploitation, abuse or trafficking of migrants fleeing Ukraine and / or receiving assistance from USAID inside Ukraine. 2) any third-party monitoring contractors or NGOs reporting potential fraud assoc..

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) for records about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. National Archives and Records Administration (1:25-cv-00577)). Judicial Watch filed the lawsuit after the National Archives failed to respond to a January 20, 2025, FOIA request for: All previously unreleased records in the possession of the National Archives and Records Administration regarding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. This request includes, but is not limited to, all records transferred to NARA by the Assassinati..

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that a hearing will be held on February 28, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. ET before Judge Robert C.I. McBurney of the Superior Court of Fulton County, GA, on a motion for in camera (private) “inspection and appointment of special master” to oversee District Attorney Fani Willis’ search for records of communications with Special Counsel Jack Smith and the House January 6 Committee. The hearing notice states: “The courtroom will be open to the parties and the public, but the parties are free to participate remotely.” A link to view the hearing is available here. Judicial Watch filed the lawsuit in March 2024 after Willis falsely denied having ..

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton made the following statement regarding the confirmation of Kash Patel as director of the FBI: Kash Patel is a patriot and a fighter. I congratulate him on his confirmation as director of the FBI. It was a scandal his confirmation took this long. I consider Kash a friend, and he is the perfect choice to reform the FBI. Kash will bring transparency and accountability back to an agency that became irredeemably corrupt and the tip of the spear in unfettered lawfare against any American seen as a threat to the ruling class. From sitting on Hunter Biden’s laptop in order to influence the 2020 election, the raid of President Trump’s Mar-a..

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense for information about two conference calls involving then-Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff Mark Milley with the Departments of Justice, Interior and Homeland Security regarding coordination for the January 6, 2021, election certification (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Defense (No. 1:25-cv-00439)). Judicial Watch filed suit after the Defense Department failed to respond to a December 19, 2024, FOIA request for: Records and communications about two conference calls hosted by former Department of Defense employees Acting Secretary of Def..

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today it filed a second Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice for records and communications regarding the Internal Revenue Service’s investigation of Hunter Biden (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. U.S. Department of Justice (No.1:24-cv-03387)). Judicial Watch filed an earlier FOIA lawsuit in July 2023 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia after the Department of Justice failed to respond to a May 2023 FOIA request for access to public records of Special Counsel Jack Smith. During the course of this suit, the Justice Department invoked Exemption 7(a) to withhold records due to an ongoing law e..

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that a federal court ordered the U.S. Department of Justice to declare whether it intends to continue denying Judicial Watch’s request for the full audio of former President Joe Biden’s interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur. Judge Timothy J. Kelly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia wrote: In light of the recent change in administration, it is hereby ORDERED that Defendant shall, by February 19, 2025, file a status report confirming that its position outlined in its [34] Motion for Summary Judgment and [46] Memorandum in Opposition remains unchanged. Judicial Watch filed the first Freedom of Information Act (FOIA..

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today it filed in the U.S. Supreme Court an amici curiae (friend of the court) brief along with the Allied Educational Foundation (AEF), asking the court to eliminate woke, race-based congressional districting and ban the use racial preferences in drawing up “majority minority” congressional districts. Judicial Watch and AEF ask the court to affirm a lower court ruling which would prevent specifically crowding minority voters into congressional districts. This Judicial Watch amici brief comes in the case Louisiana v. Phillip Callais et al. (No. 24-109), which is on appeal from the U.S. District Court Western District of Louisiana where the lo..

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense for former Vice President Kamala Harris’ VIP travel records (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security (No. 1:25-cv-00233)). Judicial Watch filed the FOIA lawsuit after the Secret Service and the Air Force failed to respond to August 2024 requests for: “All records concerning use of U.S Government funds to provide security and/or other services to Vice President Kamala Harris and any companions while traveling.” The Biden White House website reports that during her term as vice presiden..

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that a federal court ordered the Department of Justice to provide information on communications between Special Counsel Jack Smith and District Attorney Fani Willis regarding the prosecution of then-former President Donald Trump. The Justice Department had continued to object to providing any information even after its prosecutions against Trump were shut down. Judge Dabney L. Friedrich of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that because the cases against Trump were closed, the Justice Department’s arguments against disclosure were no longer applicable: Since DOJ filed its motion for summary judgment and supporting ..

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit on behalf of the Zachor Legal Institute against the U.S. Department of Education for records concerning Qatar’s funding and operations of five U.S. universities – Georgetown, Northwestern, Cornell, Harvard, and Univ. of Michigan (Zachor Legal Institute. v. U.S. Department of Education(No. 1:25-cv-00093)). The lawsuit was filed on January 14, 2025. In February 2024, Texas A&M closed its campus in Qatar, following disclosures from a Judicial Watch lawsuit on behalf of Zachor that uncovered nearly half a billion in funding from the regime to the university. Qatar has given or contra..