The conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch announced Monday it has filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the State Department, in an effort to compel the agency to release all documents related to the Podesta Group’s connections to a pro-Putin think tank.
The Podesta Group was a long-time lobbying powerhouse in Washington run by brothers Tony and John. John Podesta was Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager in 2016 and was the victim of a hack that ultimately saw thousands of his emails distributed by WikiLeaks.
The group is thought to be under investigation by Robert Mueller’s special counsel team, as it may have violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act for failing to disclose work it did on behalf of a Ukrainian based think tank that advocated stances and policies favorable to the Putin regime in Russia.
The FOIA request by Judicial Watch also asked for records related to the think tank, the European Center for a Modern Ukraine, and asked the State Department for records reaching back to 2012.
“Mueller’s special counsel operation seems more interested in the alleged foreign ties of the Trump Team, rather than Hillary Clinton’s associates,” stated Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton said in a press release. “Judicial Watch aims to figure out the truth of what exactly the Podesta Group was doing with the Obama State Department.”
The revelations of the Podesta Group’s work for the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine forced the group to file FARA disclosures retroactively. The group now appears to be on the verge of shuttering its operation.
Although charges for violations of FARA are rare, Mueller’s team did press that charge against former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Manafort has pleaded not guilty.
