Our Litigation | Judicial Watch

Paul Orfanedes

Judicial Watch Director of Litigation Paul Orfanedes

Judicial Watch has filed more than 150 lawsuits against federal, state, and local agencies and officials across the country seeking to promote transparency, integrity, and accountability in government and fidelity to the rule of law.

What separates Judicial Watch from other watchdog organizations is its unique willingness and ability to use the civil court system to further these important, public interest goals.

Thanks in part to its aggressive litigation, Judicial Watch was named one of the top ten most effective government watchdog organizations by The Hill newspaper.

To learn more about Judicial Watch’s recent cases or to review relevant court documents, please click on any of the links listed below.

Recent Cases

Immigration Enforcement

GARCIA v. CITY OF LAGUNA BEACH - JW lawsuit on behalf of residents of the City of Laguna Beach, California, challenging the use of taxpayer funds to operate a day laborer center that refuses to verify day laborers’ eligibility to work in the United States.

JUDICIAL WATCH v. CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT- JW lawsuit to obtain records regarding the Chicago Police Department’s policies and procedures concerning illegal aliens and immigration status.

JUDICIAL WATCH v. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, et al. – JW lawsuit to obtain records regarding immunity and medical treatment provided to a Mexican national shot by U.S. Border Patrol Agents in a drug-related incident near the U.S./Mexico border.

JUDICIAL WATCH v. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY - JW lawsuit to obtain records regarding a survey of apprehended illegal aliens conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol to determine the impact of a proposed “Temporary Guest Worker” program.

JUDICIAL WATCH v. D.C. METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT - JW lawsuit to obtain records regarding the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department’s policies and procedures concerning illegal aliens and immigration status.

JUDICIAL WATCH v. LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT, et al. - JW lawsuit to obtain records regarding the Los Angeles Police Department’s policies and procedures concerning illegal aliens and immigration status.

JUDICIAL WATCH v. SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION - JW lawsuit to obtain records regarding “No Match” letter statistics.

KARUNAKARAM v. TOWN OF HERNDON – JW lawsuit on behalf of residents of the Town of Herndon, Virginia challenging the use of taxpayer funds to operate a day laborer center that refuses to verify day laborers’ eligibility to work in the United States.

STURGEON v. BRATTON - JW lawsuit on behalf of a resident of the City of Los Angeles challenging the use of taxpayer funds to support the Los Angeles Police Department’s “sanctuary” policy, which prohibits police officers from inquiring about a person’s citizenship or immigration status or notifying federal immigration authorities about an illegal alien’s immigration status.

Transparency in Government

JUDICIAL WATCH v. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION - JW lawsuit to obtain records regarding human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine records.

JUDICIAL WATCH v. BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT - JW lawsuit to obtain records containing communications between the Bureau of Land Management and Harry Reid, John Ensign and Jim Gibbons regarding Coyote Springs Investment.

JUDICIAL WATCH v. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE - JW lawsuit to open to the public meetings of the North American Competitiveness Council, an entity created under the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP.)

JUDICIAL WATCH v. DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY - JW lawsuit to obtain documents regarding a multi-billion dollar no-bid contract awarded to the oil services company Kellogg, Brown & Root, a subsidiary of Halliburton, to restart Iraq’s oil production.

JUDICIAL WATCH v. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE - JW lawsuit to obtain records regarding the Clinton Administration’s sale of seats on U.S. Department of Commerce foreign trade missions in exchange for contributions to the Democratic National Committee.

JUDICIAL WATCH v. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE - JW lawsuit to obtain records regarding the Terrorist Surveillance Program.

JUDICIAL WATCH v. U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION - JW lawsuit to obtain records regarding contacts and communications between U.S. Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton, Patty Murray, and Michael Enzi and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration concerning the approval of over-the-counter sales of levonorgestrel, the “morning after” pill also known as Plan B.

JUDICIAL WATCH v. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION - JW lawsuit to obtain records regarding the approval of mifepristone, the “abortion pill” also known as RU-486.

JUDICIAL WATCH v. OFFICE OF GOVERNOR ROD R. BLAGOJEVICH -JW lawsuit to obtain federal grand jury subpoenas served on the Office of Illinois Governor Rod. R. Blagojevich.

JUDICIAL WATCH v. SECRET SERVICE - JW lawsuit to obtain logs of visits by convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff to the White House.

Government Integrity

Judicial Watch v. U.S. National Archives and Records Administration - JW lawsuit to obtain Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s official calendar, schedule, and day planner, and related documents from her tenure as First Lady.

ALEXANDER et al. v. FBI, et. al. - JW lawsuit on behalf of former Reagan and Bush (I) Administration White House staffers for violation of the Privacy Act and other claims.

HERNANDEZ, et al. v. County of Los Angeles, et al. - JW lawsuit on behalf of residents of the City of Los Angeles challenging a ballot initiative extending the term limits of members of the Los Angeles City Council.

STURGEON v LOS ANGELES COUNTY, ET AL. - JW lawsuit on behalf of a resident of the County of Los Angeles challenging the legality of “supplemental” judicial benefits paid by the County of Los Angeles to judges of the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles.

National Security

DOE v. BIN LADEN, et al. - JW lawsuit on behalf of the family of a September 11, 2001 victim against the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and others for wrongful death, conspiracy, among other claims.

JUDICIAL WATCH v. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY -JW lawsuit to obtain records regarding the decision to allow Saudi nationals to leave the United States immediately following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

JUDICIAL WATCH v. FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION - JW lawsuit to obtain previously unseen video footage of Flight 77 striking the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.

VINCENT v. FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION - JW lawsuit on behalf of a retired Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for violation of the agent’s First Amendment rights by refusing to grant permission to publish information about the FBI’s counter-terrorism efforts.

WRIGHT v. FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION - JW lawsuit on behalf of a Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for violation of the agent’s First Amendment rights by refusing to grant permission to publish a book manuscript and other materials containing information about the FBI’s counter-terrorism efforts.

Whistleblower Protection

HAFIZ v. ABC, INC., et al. - Defamation lawsuit against current and former Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, among others, for allegedly publishing statement that Special Agent Abdel-Hafiz refused to "wiretap" a Muslim terrorist suspect.

WRIGHT v. FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION - JW lawsuit on behalf of a Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for violating the Privacy Act by disclosing information from the agent’s personnel file to a member of the media.

Other Litigation

MILOSCH v. HASTINGS, et al. - JW lawsuit on behalf of an employee of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe challenging the constitutionality of the employee’s termination by Rep. Alcee Hastings.

JOSE J. BASULTO v. THE REPUBLIC OF CUBA and FIDEL CASTRO RUZ - This action arises out of an act of terrorism by the Defendants and their agents on February 24, 1996, in which two Cuban Air Force fighter planes ("MiGs"), intentionally shot down two unarmed, civilian planes of Hermanos al Rescate [or “Brothers To The Rescue” (BTTR) in English] in international airspace in an unprovoked aerial ambush, killing four BTTR aviators.

Amicus Curiae Briefs