Court Decisions

Leopold v. Fed. Hous. Fin. Agency, No. 23-1935, 2026 WL 2676063 (D.D.C. Sept. 11, 2026) (Sooknanan, J.)

Re: Request for records concerning oversight of banks

Disposition:  Granting in part and denying in part defendant’s motion for summary judgment; granting in part and denying in part plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment

• Exemption 8; Litigation Considerations, Evidentiary Showing, “Reasonably...

Lenz v. CIA, No. 20-3327, 2026 WL 2676740 (D.D.C. Sept. 11, 2026) (Lamberth, J.)

Re: Request for records concerning U.S. involvement in raid on businesses in Philippines by the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation on March 3, 1962

Disposition:  Granting plaintiff’s motion for attorney fees and costs; awarding plaintiff $56,943 in attorney’s fees and $300 in costs

• Attorney Fees, Eligibility: ...

Ryan v. DOJ, No. 23-3815, 2026 WL 2676048 (D.D.C. Sept. 11, 2026) (Sooknanan, J.)

Re: Request for records concerning aircraft crashes and subsequent investigations

Disposition:  Granting in part and denying in part plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment; granting in part any denying in part defendant’s cross-motion for summary judgment

• Exemption 3:  The court relates that “DOJ invoked Exemption 3 to...

Bing Hong v. U.S. Dep’t of State, No. 25-2906, 2026 WL 2641563 (D.D.C. Sept. 8, 2026) (Walton, J.)

Re: Request for records concerning plaintiff’s child’s passport applications and adjudications

Disposition:  Granting defendant’s motion for summary judgment; denying plaintiff’s cross-motion for summary judgment

• Litigation Considerations, Adequacy of Search:  “[T]he Court concludes that the defendant’s...

Am. Transparency v. HHS, No. 21-02821, 2026 WL 2620874 (D.D.C. Sept. 4, 2026) (Mehta, J.)

Re: Request for records concerning royalties that NIH paid to its employees

Disposition:  Granting defendant’s motion for summary judgment; denying plaintiff’s cross-motion for summary judgment

• Exemption 4; Litigation Considerations, Evidentiary Showing, “Reasonably Segregable” Showing:  The court relates that “...

Martinez v. Collins, No. 26-7248, 2026 WL 2606926 (Vet. App. Sept. 3, 2026) (Meredith, J.)

Re: Request for requester’s VA claims file

Disposition:  Dismissing requester’s petition

• Litigation Considerations, Jurisdiction:  The Court of Appeals for Veterans’ Claims finds that “although [the requester] seeks an order compelling VA to provide a copy of his C-file and medical records pursuant to his...

LegalForce RAPC Worldwide P.C. v. USPTO, No. 25-09010, 2026 WL 2606993 (N.D. Cal. Sept. 2, 2026) (Pitts, J.)

Re: Request for eight types of records regarding relationship between PTO’s Office of Enrollment and Discipline and HUD

Disposition:  Denying plaintiff’s motion for attorney fees and costs

• Attorney Fees, Eligibility:  The court finds that “[p]laintiffs have not established their eligibility...

Bennett v. Atascadero State Hosp., No. 25-03738, 2026 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 196410 (E.D. Cal. Aug. 31, 2026) (Drozd, J.)

Re: Request for records concerning plaintiff

Disposition:  Adopting magistrate judge’s report and recommendations; dismissing action with prejudice

• Procedural Requirements, Entities Subject to the FOIA:  The court agrees with the magistrate judge who “concluded that Atascadero State...

Vega v. Gatta, No. 26-1299, 2026 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 196832 (M.D. Fla. Aug. 31, 2026) (Dudek, J.)

Re: Request for records concerning 

Disposition:  Dismissing plaintiff’s amended complaint

• Procedural Requirements, Entities Subject to the FOIA; Litigation Considerations, Pleadings: The court finds that “[plaintiff] . . . does not assert he made [a FOIA] request of any federal agency.”  “Further, FOIA...

Tyson-Phipps v. Rubio, No. 23-2316, 2026 WL 2564210 (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 31, 2026) (Gorenstein, Mag. J.)

Re: Request for records concerning plaintiff

Disposition:  Denying plaintiff’s motion for leave to amend FOIA claim following court’s dismissal of FOIA claim

• Litigation Considerations, Pleadings:  The court relates that “[d]efendant argues that Count IX, the FOIA claim . . . , is futile because it is...