New York Times Sues CIA Chief for Trump 'Russia-gate' Documents

Ratcliffe Rejects Request to Publicly Release Documents

Times Accuses CIA Chief of 'Stonewalling' the Investigation

The ongoing saga between the New York Times and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) over documents related to the investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election has taken a new turn, with the newspaper filing a lawsuit against the CIA's director, John Ratcliffe.

The New York Times alleges that Ratcliffe is stonewalling the investigation by refusing to publicly release the documents requested under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

The newspaper has been seeking the documents since 2018, but Ratcliffe has repeatedly denied the requests, citing national security concerns.

The Times argues that the public has a right to know about the extent of Russian interference in the election and that Ratcliffe is obstructing the investigation by withholding the documents.

In its lawsuit, the Times says that Ratcliffe "has failed to provide any meaningful explanation for his refusal to produce the requested records" and that he is "stonewalling" the investigation.

The CIA has not yet commented on the lawsuit.

The Times' lawsuit is the latest development in a years-long battle between the newspaper and the Trump administration over access to government documents.

In 2020, the Times sued the Trump administration for access to the full Mueller report on Russian interference in the 2016 election.

The administration eventually released a redacted version of the report, but the Times continues to fight for the release of the full report.