KFF v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Case Number: 1:25-cv-02742

Court: U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

Clients: KFF, Rachana Pradhan

Background: In March 2025, KFF Health News reporter Rachana Pradhan submitted Freedom of Information Act requests to several federal health agencies — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and National Institutes of Health — seeking access to emails and other communications between agency employees and senior representatives of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency. While each of the agencies acknowledged receipt of the requests, none of them has turned over any responsive records. 

On behalf of KFF and Pradhan, attorneys from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press filed this lawsuit alleging that the federal agencies violated FOIA by failing to comply with statutory deadlines, unlawfully withholding agency records, and failing to comply with expedited processing of the requests.

Filings:

2025-8-19: Complaint