The Department of Justice has been ordered by a federal judge to identify documents it has been refusing to disclose in the investigation of a former U.S. senator.

U.S. District Judge John Bates has ordered the DOJ to prepare a Vaughn Index, specifically identifying which documents in the investigation of former Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., the agency is withholding and why.

CREW v. U.S. Department of Justice
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington

In his ruling, Judge Bates found Sen. Ensign’s privacy interests were outweighed by the substantial public interest in records that would shed light on the DOJ investigation and the decision not to bring charges against the senator.

View CREW statement. View the court opinion.