CREW: DOJ: Regarding Investigation of Rep. Buchanan

8/13/2019 CREW: DOJ: Regarding Investigation of Rep. Buchanan

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IN THE UNITED STATESDISTRICT COURTFOR THE DISTRICT OF'COLUMBIACITIZENS FOR RESPONSIBILITY AND )ETHICSIN WASHINGTON )1400 yeStreet, .W.,Suite450Washington,.C. 20005,

PlaintifLv.

U.S.DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE950Pennsylvaniavenue,N.W.Washington, .C. 20530,

) Civil ActionNo.

Defendant.

COMPLAINT FOR INJUNCTIVE AND DECLARATORY RELIEF1. This s an actionunderheFreedom f Information ct ( FOIA ),5 U.S.C.$ 552,

and heFederal eclaratoryudgment ct, 28U.S.C.$$2201and2202,or injunctive,declaratory,ndotherappropriateelief. Plaintiffseeksherelease f recordsrom threeU.S.Departmentf Justice DOJ )componentstheCriminalDivision, heFederal ureau fInvestigation FBI ),and heExecutiveOfficeof U.S.Attorneys EOUSA ) concerninghenow closed nvestigation f Congressmanern BuchananR-FL). Plaintiff s statutorily ntitledto thedisclosure f the records t seeks.Notwithstandinghat entitlement, efendantasimproperly ithheldhe equestedecords.

Jurisdictionand Venue2. ThisCourthasbothsubjectmatterurisdictionover hisactionandpersonal

jurisdiction ver heparties ursuanto 5 U.S.C.$ 552(a)(a)@). hisCourtalsohasurisdiction

Case 1:13-cv-02000 Document 1 Filed 12/18/13 Page 1 of 8


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over hisaction ursuanto 28U.S.C. 1331, nd28U.S.C. $2201(a) nd2202.Venueies nthisdistrict nder5 U.S.C.$ 552(aXa)@).

Parties3. PlaintiffCitizensor ResponsibilityndEthics n Washington CREW ) s anon-

profit,non-partisanorporationrganized nder ection 01(cX3) f the nternalRevenue ode.CREW s committedo protectinghe ightof citizenso be nformed boutheactivities fgovernmentfficialsand o ensuringhe ntegrity f govemmentfficials.CREWseeksoempower itizenso havean nfluentialvoice n governmentecisions nd n thegovemmentaldecision-makingrocesshrough hedisseminationf information boutpublicofficialsandtheir actions.To advancets mission,CREWuses ovemmentecordsmadeavailableo itunder heFOIA.

4. Defendant OJ sanagencywithin hemeaning f 5U.S.C.$ 552(f)and5 U.S.C.$ 702.DOJ s the ederal gency ithpossessionndcontrolof the equestedecords nd sresponsibleor fulfillingplaintiff s FOIA requests. heCriminalDivision, heFBI,andEOUSAarecomponentsf defendant OJ.

DOJ's nvestigationf CongressmanernBuchanan5. Rep.VernBuchanan as hesubject f at east necriminal nvestigation

conductedy DOJ. Specifically, ep.Buchanan'sawyers ubliclyacknowledgedn October2011,DOJwas nvestigatingRep.Buchananor receivingllegalconduitcontributions,ndafederalgrandury in Tampa,Floridawashearingestimony spartof the nvestigation sofFebruary 012.

6. OnSeptemberI ,2012,Rep.Buchanan'sttorneysubliclyannouncedOJhadclosedts investigationndwouldnot bepursuing riminalcharges gainstRep.Buchanan.

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7. DOJ closed ts investigation despitepublicly available evidencesupporting heconclusionRep.Buchanan iolated criminal aws. On March 17,2010, he FederalElectionCommission( FEC ) found reason o believeRep. Buchananknowingly receivedconduitcampaigncontributionsand excessivecontributions and begana full investigation. Even thoughthe FEC closed ts investigationof Rep. Buchanan ue o questions bout he credibility of oneof the witnesses, ts generalcounsel stated, the evidence n this casecomes close o supportingafinding that t is more ikely thannot Rep. Buchanan iolated ederalelection aws.

8. In relatedmatters, he FEC alsoconcluded herewasprobablecause o believe

certain ndividualsand car dealerships nowingly madeconduitcontributionsand excessivecontributions o Rep.Buchanan's ampaign,which resultedn settlements nd hepaymentoffines. All of the documentationof these indings is publicly available n FEC records,and wasavailable o the DOJ when t made ts decisionnot to prosecuteRep.Buchanan.

Plaintiff s FOIA Requests9. By letters dated September12,2012, and deliveredon that dateby facsimile to the

Criminal Division, FBI, and EOUSA, plaintiff requested nder he FOIA the following agencyrecords including,but not limited to, electronic ecordsand nformation,audiotapes, ideotapesandphotographs):

[A]ll documents ot coveredby grandury secrecy ursuant oRule 6(e) of the FederalRulesof Criminal Procedure elated o theinvestigationof Vern Buchanan R-FL) conductedby DOJ andtheFederalBureauof Investigation FBI ) but not limited to DOJ'sdecisionnot to bring criminal charges gainsthim.10. The Criminal Division, FBI, and EOUSA receivedplaintiff s FOIA requests

describedn t[ 8 by facsimile on September12,2012.



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Defendant's Treatment of Plaintiff s FOIA RequestsThe Criminal Division

11. By letter o plaintiff datedOctober78,2012, he Criminal Division acknowledgedreceipt of plaintiff s FOIA requestand assigned t file number201200786F. The CriminalDivision informedplaintiff it had not conducteda search or responsive ecords,and assertedrecordspertaining o a third party generallycannotbe releasedwithout: (l) an expresswrittenauthorizationand consentof the third party (presumablyRep. Buchanan); 2) proof the thirdparty is deceased; r (3) a clear demonstration hat the public interest n disclosureoutweighs hepersonalprivacy interestsof the third party and that significant benefit would result from thedisclosures f the requestedecords. The CriminalDivision furtherasserted ithout a release,proofof death,or public ustification for release, elease f any recordsconcerninga third partywould violate the Privacy Act andwould result in an unwarranted nvasion of privacy protectedby Exemptions6 and 7(C). Finally, the Criminal Division advisedplaintiff of its right to appealits determinationo DOJ's Offrce of InformationPolicy ( OIP ).

12. By letter o OIP datedOctober24,2012,plaintiff appealedhe CriminalDivision'sdetermination o withhold in their entirety all records esponsive o plaintiff s FOIA request.Plaintiff specifically noted n its appeal t hadestablisheda public interest n the records hatoutweighedRep. Buchanan'sdiminishedprivacy nterestsn the records.

13. By letter o plaintiff datedMarch 28,2013,OIP advisedplaintiff it was remandingthe request o Criminal Division to search or responsive ecords. OIP informed plaintiff that ifany recordswere located he Criminal Division would release hemdirectly to plaintiff.

14. The Criminal Division hasnot communicated he resultsof the search o plaintiff orcommunicatedn any way to plaintiff since he remandof CREW's request.Thus,plaintiff has



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now exhaustedll applicable dministrativeemedies ith respecto its FOIA requesto theCriminalDivision.

TheFBI15. By letter o plaintiffdatedSeptember5,2012, heFBI acknowledgedeceipt f

plaintiffs FOIArequest, ndassignedt FOIPARequest o. 1198736-000. heFBI furtherindicatedt wassearchingor responsiveecords.

16, By letter o plaintiffdatedDecember2,2012,heFBI statedesponsiveecordswereexemptromrelease ursuanto FOIA Exemption (A),which concernsrecords rinformation ompiledor law enforcementurposes,ut only to the extent hat heproduction fsuchaw enforcementecords r information . . could easonably eexpectedo interferewithenforcementroceedings. heFBI advised laintiffof its right o appealhatdeterminationoOIP.

17 By letter o OIP dated anuary 3,2013, laintiffappealedhe determinationf theFBI to withhold n their entiretyall records esponsiveo plaintiff s FOIA request ursuantoFOIA Exemption (A).

18. By letter o plaintiffdated une 5, 2013,OIPadvised laintiffExemption (A)wasno ongerapplicableo withhold he requestedecordsn full, and uftheradvised laintiff itwas emandingherequesto the FBI for furtherprocessingf responsiveecords.

19. TheFBI hasnotproducedrwithheld ny esponsiveecords orhas tcommunicatedn anyway o plaintiffsince he emand f CREW's equest.Thus,plaintiffhasnowexhaustedll applicabledministrativeemedies ith respecto its FOIA requesto theFBI.



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TheEOUSA20. By telephoneall on December 9,2012,EOUSAacknowledgedo plaintiff s

counselEOUSAhad eceived laintiff s FOIA request n September 2,2012,andprovidedherequesto EOUSAFOIA employee ohnKommeir. At that ime,plaintiff providedEOUSAanotheropyofthe request.

21. To date,EOUSAhasnot respondedo plaintiffs request.22. Plaintiff hasnow exhausted ll applicable dministrativeemedies ith respecto

its FOIA requesto EOUSA.PLAINTIFF'S CLAIMS FOR RELIEF

CLAIM ONE(Failurreo ConductAdequateSearches)23. Plaintiff re-alleges nd ncorporatesy referencearagraphs-22.24. Plaintiff submittedo the CriminalDivision,FBI and he EOUSA, equestshat

reasonably escribedherecords oughtandweremade n accordance ith DOJ'spublishedFOIA regulations.

25. In response,heCriminalDivision,FBI,and heEOUSAhave ailed o conductsearcheseasonablyalculatedo uncover ll agency ecords.

26. As a resultof the nadequateearchesf theCriminalDivision,FBI and heEOUSA, laintiffhasnot received ll the ecordst requestednder heFOIA.

27. Therefore,y failing o releaseo plaintiff he ecords pecificallyequestedf theCriminalDivision,FBI and heEOUSA,defendantiolatedheFOIA'smandateo searchorresponsiveecords, U.S.C.g 552(a)(3)(D).

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CLAIM TWO(WronefulWithhqldineOf Non-ExemptRecords)28. Plaintiff re-alleges nd ncorporatesy reference aragraphs-27.29. Plaintiffproperly skedor records ithin hecustody ndcontrolof DOJ

componentsheCriminalDivision, heFBI, and heEOUSA.30. DefendantDOJ wrongfullywithheldagencyecords equestedy plaintiffby

withholdingrom disclosure ll recordsesponsiveo plaintiff s FOIA requestso theCriminalDivision, heFBI, andEOUSA.

31. Therefore,y failing o releasehe ecords splaintiffspecificallyequested,defendantiolated he FOIA.

Requested eliefWHEREFORE,laintiff espectfullyequestshat hisCourt:(l) Orderdefendant OJand ts componentsheCriminalDivision, heFBI,and

EOUSA o conduct dequateearchesnd o disclosemmediately nd n theirentireties llrecords esponsiveo plaintiff sFOIA requestsubmittedo theCriminalDivision, he FBI, andEOUSAon September2,2012.

(2) Issue declarationhatplaintiff s entitledo disclosuref the equestedecords;(3) Provideor expeditiousroceedingsn thisaction;(4)Awardplaintiff ts costs nd easonablettorneys'ees n this action; nd(5) Grantsuchotherand urther eliefas heCourtmay deemust andproper.

Respectfuly submitted,

ANNE L. WEISMANN(D.C. arNo.298l90)7



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Dated: ec. 8,2013

MELANIESLOAN(D.CBarNo. 434584Citizens or Responsibility ndEthicsin Washington1400EyeStreet, .W. Suite450Washington,.C. 20005Phone:202)408-5565Facsimile:202)588-5020

P.O.Box 42002Washington,.C. 20015Phone:301) 04-0502Fax: 413)641-2833Attorneysor Plaintiff

A. HodesD.C.Bar430375)


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CREW: DOJ: Regarding Investigation of Rep. Buchanan