Judge Dismisses America First Legal Foundation's FOIA Lawsuit Targeting Chief Justice Roberts
U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden has dismissed the America First Legal Foundation's (AFL) Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit seeking federal judiciary documents from the Judicial Conference and the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AOUSC).
The dismissal was due to lack of jurisdiction, as the Judicial Conference and AOUSC are components of the judicial branch and are thus exempt from FOIA requests. The lawsuit named Chief Justice John Roberts, in his capacity as head of the Judicial Conference, and AOUSC director Robert J. Conrad, seeking access to documents under FOIA.
AFL argued that these two bodies perform executive functions and should be subject to FOIA, citing actions in 2023 aimed at accommodating congressional investigations into ethics issues involving Justices Thomas and Alito. However, Judge McFadden rejected the view that FOIA coverage extends only to judges, emphasizing that courts include a broad range of judicial adjuncts such as clerks and court reporters integral to the judiciary.
This ruling represents a setback for Trump allies who sought access to internal judiciary documents and brings an end to this long-running lawsuit. America's First Legal Foundation is led by attorney Will Scolinos, and was founded by Stephen Miller, who is no longer affiliated with the group.
