Opinion ID: 370469
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: course of the litigation

Text: 8 The complaint sought an injunction directing the CIA to make available for copying all records requested in plaintiffs' . . . letter of 20 October 1975, 16 a declaratory judgment holding the CIA's allegedly restrictive definition of agency records 17 invalid, and an award of attorneys' fees. On 10 March 1976 plaintiffs filed interrogatories, a request for production of documents, and a notice of deposition to the CIA. Rather than submit to discovery, the CIA on 5 April 1976 filed a motion for summary judgment based on affidavits. The Agency contended that the Hearing Transcript was not an agency record but rather a congressional document not subject to FOIA; 18 that both the Transcript and the deleted portions of the Hillenkoetter Statement were properly withheld under FOIA Exemption 3, relating to matters specifically exempted from disclosure by statute; 19 that both the Transcript and the deleted portions of the Hillenkoetter Statement were properly withheld under FOIA Exemption 1, relating to matters specifically authorized under criteria established by an Executive Order to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or foreign policy; 20 that the CIA's search had been complete and there existed no other responsive documents; and that plaintiffs lacked standing to challenge the CIA's definition of agency records inasmuch as the Agency had not relied on that definition in processing their FOIA request. Plaintiffs responded to the motion principally on the grounds that discovery was needed to resolve disputed issues of fact. 9 Judge Hart granted the CIA's motion for summary judgment on 26 May 1976. 21 He found that the Hearing Transcript was a congressional document outside the ambit of FOIA, that the deleted portions of the Hillenkoetter Statement were properly withheld under FOIA Exemption 1, and that no further discovery was justified since the CIA had made a full search in good faith. 22 Judge Hart made no findings about plaintiffs' standing to challenge the CIA's definition of agency records or about their request for attorneys' fees. We consider these issues in turn.