US Court Rejects Discovery Bid Against Tinubu in FOIA Case

A United States District Court in Washington, D.C., has denied a request by plaintiff Aaron Greenspan to conduct limited discovery involving President Bola Tinubu and the DCI Group in an ongoing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit.

The ruling, delivered on October 30, 2026, also rejected Greenspan’s motion for summary judgment and a separate request by a nonparty to file an amicus curiae, or friend-of-the-court, brief.

The case centres on a FOIA dispute involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Greenspan had sought discovery relating to alleged cyberattacks on his website. However, the court held that the proposed discovery was not sufficiently relevant to the underlying legal issues in the FOIA litigation.

Attorney Christopher W. Carmichael said the ruling underscored the need to keep the proceedings focused on matters directly connected to the case.

“The Court’s decision makes clear that this Freedom of Information Act proceeding cannot be used to pursue discovery unrelated to the legal questions before it,” Carmichael said.

“By denying the request for discovery against President Tinubu and DCI Group, the Court reinforced the importance of keeping this litigation focused on the issues properly before it.”

The court also denied a motion by Karl Von Batten, a nonparty in the case, seeking permission to file an amicus brief, as well as Greenspan’s related request for judicial notice.

In addition, the court turned down Greenspan’s motion for summary judgment, meaning the substantive issues surrounding the FOIA dispute remain before the court.

Attorney Oluwole Afolabi said the decisions set important procedural boundaries for the case.

“While the underlying FOIA issues remain before the Court, these rulings establish important procedural boundaries and clarify which matters are appropriate for consideration in this litigation,” Afolabi said.

The litigation will continue as the court considers the outstanding issues relating to Greenspan’s FOIA requests involving the FBI and DEA.