Yesterday, Judge McMahon granted the government’s request for more time to file a summary judgment motion in response to Freedom of Information Act lawsuits from the ACLU and the New York Times concerning (among other things) a secret legal memo first reported the New York Times justifying the targeted killing of U.S. citizen Anwar al-Awlaki. The government stated that it needed more time because its “position is being deliberated at the highest level of the Executive Branch.” The government supported its request with an ex parte confidential declaration from James R. Clapper, Jr., the Director of National Intelligence. Judge McMahon granted the request but not without a small dig at the government:
Continue Reading Judge McMahon Notes Irony of Government Seeking Extension in FOIA Case for Secret Reasons