EFTA00075437.txt Text dataset_9 View on DOJ

This document is a memorandum of law filed by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York on behalf of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, supporting their motion for summary judgment in a FOIA lawsuit brought by The New York Times. The memo argues that the BOP properly withheld records related to Jeffrey Epstein's death, citing FOIA exemptions to protect ongoing criminal proceedings, privacy, and law enforcement techniques.

Subject

MEMORANDUM OF LAW IN SUPPORT OF THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF PRISONS'S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

Sender

AUDREY STRAUSS, Acting United States Attorney

Recipients

—

Document ID

Case 1:20-cv-00833-PAE Document 25

Date

2020-08-05

Congress did not intend the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552 et seq., to interfere with pending criminal prosecutions.

The government need only demonstrate a 'rational link' between the requested public disclosure and interference with the government's ongoing or prospective investigations or proceedings.

Exemption 7(A) . .. is designed to block the disclosure of information that will genuinely harm the government's case in an enforcement proceeding or impede an investigation.

• The New York Times (the 'Times') seeks records at the core of a pending criminal prosecution of two former Federal Bureau of Prisons ('BOP') employees on duty the night Jeffrey Epstein died.
• On August 13, 2019, the Times submitted two FOIA requests to BOP collectively seeking twenty different categories of documents relating to Epstein.
• The Times subsequently sent BOP two additional FOIA requests. On December 12, 2019, the Times requested six categories of documents relating to Epstein, id. 19, and on January 2, 2020, the Times requested recordings of Epstein's last three phone calls, id. ¶ 10.
• The Times commenced the present action on January 30, 2020, seeking production of records responsive to its four FOIA requests.

Context

The case concerns the death of Jeffrey Epstein while in federal custody and the subsequent FOIA requests by The New York Times for related documents.

Media Worthy

Yes

Legal matters/litigationFinancial transactions/money flow

Jeffrey EpsteinTova NoelMichael ThomasNicholas TartaglioneRussell CaponeKara ChristensonNicole McFarlandAnalisa TorresHector GutierrezMartin LunaUrbano SantiagoMiguel LunaAudrey StraussSteven J. Kochevar

The New York Times CompanyFederal Bureau of PrisonsBOPUnited States District CourtSouthern District of New YorkUnited States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New YorkUSAO-SDNYMetropolitan Correctional CenterMCCFBICIAIRSDOJICENSASEC

New YorkNew York, New YorkSouthern District of New York

Tone

Professional

Purpose

To support the Federal Bureau of Prisons's motion for summary judgment in a FOIA lawsuit filed by The New York Times Company.

Significance

The document outlines the legal arguments for withholding records related to Jeffrey Epstein's death, citing FOIA exemptions related to ongoing criminal proceedings, privacy concerns, and law enforcement techniques.

File Name

EFTA00075437.txt

Dataset

dataset_9

Type

Text

Model

gemini-2.0-flash-001

Processed

2026-02-07T18:44:26.105991

DOJ Source

View on DOJ