American Oversight filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit Tuesday seeking communications and directives regarding any federal investigation conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Pittsburgh based on information provided by Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani.

In February 2020, Attorney General William Barr indicated that he had tasked Scott Brady, the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, to vet information Giuliani had gathered on then-candidate Joe Biden and his son — a move that raised significant concern given the potentially politicized motives of the investigation and Giuliani’s efforts in the corrupt Ukraine pressure campaign. Following the reports of Brady’s assignment, American Oversight filed FOIA requests to the Justice Department for records of any related directives or communications from the attorney general, as well as for any communications between Brady’s office and Giuliani or the White House. 

We are suing after a ten-month delay in the department complying with our requests, and amid recent news reports that suggest Brady’s investigation has progressed largely in secret over the past year, sounding alarm bells within the agency about potential political interference. 

Barr, who will leave the administration this week, said on Monday that he saw no reason to appoint special counsels to investigate President Donald Trump’s continued false claims that the election was rigged against him, or to investigate President-elect Biden’s son Hunter. Hunter Biden is reportedly currently under federal investigation for tax issues, while Giuliani is under investigation for his role in the Ukraine intrigue.  

American Oversight will continue to investigate this and other issues relevant to the politicization of the Justice Department during the Trump administration.