On April 21 and May 22, 2017, Protect Democracy sent FOIA requests to the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) seeking documents related to Russian interference with the 2016 election, as well as communication with the White House and Congress about the investigation into Russian interference.

According to public reports, President Trump tried to pressure the director of the NSA to push back on the FBI investigation into Russia’s meddling in our election, and Trump’s request was documented in a contemporaneous memo. We are seeking that memo and other documents related to improper White House interference in an ongoing law enforcement investigation.

Protect Democracy has sued to get these documents, and the case is currently on appeal to the D.C. Circuit as The Protect Democracy Project v. National Security Agency, et al. (D.C. Cir. May 12, 2020).

ECF No. 12: Amended Complaint (filed August 7, 2017)

ECF No. 13: Answer to Amended Complaint (filed August 18, 2017)

ECF No. 23-1: Memorandum in Support of Motion for Summary Judgment against the NSA (filed June 25, 2018)

ECF No. 24: NSA’s Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment and Opposition to Protect Democracy’s Motion for Summary Judgment (August 9, 2018)

ECF No. 26: Protect Democracy’s Combined Reply in Support of Motion for Summary Judgment and Opposition to NSA’s Motion for Summary Judgment (August 30, 2018)

ECF No. 28: NSA’s Reply in Support of Its Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment (filed September 13, 2018)

National Security Agency (NSA):

• Request submitted April 21, 2017
• Documents produced December 20, 2017

Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI):

• Requests submitted April 21 and May 22, 2017
• Documents produced December 20, 2017, January 18, 2018, February 14, 2018, and March 27, 2018