AMERICAN OVERSIGHT v. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE et al

1
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
AMERICAN OVERSIGHT,
Plaintiff,
v. 	Civil Action No. 25-3200 (JEB)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, et al.,
Defendants.
ORDER
On September 15, 2025, Plaintiff American Oversight filed this Freedom of Information
Act suit against the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation. See ECF No. 1
(Compl.). Defendants now move the Court to strike the first 22 paragraphs under Federal Rule
of Civil Procedure 12(f) as “referenc[ing] entirely irrelevant alleged factual material and
editorialized statements.” ECF No. 7 (Mot. to Strike) at 2. That Rule permits a court to “strike
from a pleading . . . any redundant, immaterial, impertinent, or scandalous matter.” The
Government concedes, however, that such motions “are generally disfavored.” Mot. to Strike at
2. Here, moreover, the offending paragraphs take up only four pages and largely quote
administration officials. See Compl., ¶¶ 1–22. They are hardly scandalous or prejudicial, and, to
the extent the paragraphs are not strictly relevant to the Complaint — a point Plaintiff contests —
the Court believes that judicial efficiency is far better served by not requiring Plaintiff to amend.
Case 1:25-cv-03200-JEB Document 10 Filed 01/21/26 Page 1 of 2

2
The Court accordingly ORDERS that:
1. 	Defendants’ [7] Motion to Strike is DENIED; and
2. 	Defendants shall respond to the Complaint by February 2, 2026.
/s/ James E. Boasberg
JAMES E. BOASBERG
United States District Judge
Date: January 21, 2026
Case 1:25-cv-03200-JEB Document 10 Filed 01/21/26 Page 2 of 2