Left: Donald Trump playing golf at the Turnberry course during his UK visit in May 2023. 71992040 (Press Association via AP Images). Right: Ryan Routh discusses his activities in Ukraine (Newsweek Romania).
A recent lawsuit claims that the Trump administration has “unlawfully withheld” documents pertaining to Ryan Routh, who is on trial for allegedly attempting to shoot the president last year at a golf course.
“Disclosing these records serves the public interest by shedding light on the government’s interactions with Routh,” stated the attorneys from the Center to Advance Security in America (CASA) in a complaint filed on Monday. This move follows ongoing resistance to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests regarding the Routh case by the U.S. State Department.
“More than 355 days have passed since CASA’s requests were filed, yet the Department of State has not made a decision on them,” the complaint states. “The State Department has neither provided CASA with the requested documents, clarified the document scope to be released or withheld—along with justifications for any refusals—nor informed CASA of its right to appeal any unfavorable decisions.”
The lawsuit, submitted to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, alleges that State Department representatives have failed to meet their “legal responsibilities” in releasing the records. CASA has issued four FOIA requests in connection with the Routh assassination attempt at a Trump golf course in Florida last year.
Routh, aged 59, is accused of attempting to assassinate a significant presidential candidate, attacking a federal officer, and multiple firearms offenses. He has entered a plea of not guilty and has chosen to represent himself in the trial.
“DOS is an agency subject to FOIA and therefore has an obligation to release any non-exempt records and provide a lawful reason for withholding any materials in response to a proper FOIA request,” the complaint says. “DOS is wrongfully withholding non-exempt agency records requested by CASA by failing to produce non-exempt records responsive to its request.”
CASA’s lawyers argued that the State Department’s alleged failure to make that determination within the allotted time period required by law warrants demands “immediate judicial review” after the group says it exhausted all of its options. CASA has provided copies of at least four separate FOIA requests filed on Sept. 17, 2024. They are seeking records from the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine, the Office of the Secretary, and the Office of the Coordinator of U.S. Assistance to Europe and Eurasia, along with several other State Department subdivisions.
“For each of these requests, DOS followed a similar pattern of initially acknowledging the requests and then going silent after informing CASA that a search was ‘in process’ without any estimated production date,” the complaint charges. “For all four requests, DOS failed to fulfill its statutory obligations under FOIA and appears unwilling to do so absent litigation.”
State Department officials said in an email sent on Oct. 9, 2024, that they would be unable to respond to the requests within 20 days due to “unusual circumstances,” per CASA’s complaint. The State Department allegedly updated the statuses to say “In Process” before going dark.
“The Center to Advance Security in America (CASA) is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to improving the safety and security of the American people,” the group said in the FOIA requests. “CASA educates and informs the American people about the actions of their government and its officials that impact their safety; peace and security; democracy, civil rights, and civil liberties; and privacy.”
The group is seeking declaratory and injunctive relief to “compel compliance” with the requirements of FOIA, according to the complaint. It has asked the court to order the Trump administration to produce the requested “non-exempt records” within 10 days of any order that is issued, or by any other date that the court deems appropriate.
