National security lawyers Mark Zaid and Brad Moss have sued theDepartment of Justice on behalf of The Daily Beast and The JamesMadison Project over the so-called “Nunes Memo” and its Democratic response. The Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, filed Thursday, demands the expedited release of documents related to the declassification of memos by House Intelligence Committee members Reps. Devin Nunes (R-CA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA). Nunes’ memo alleging FBI surveillance abuses in the investigation of a Trump campaign staffer became a source of tension on the House Intelligence Committee after Democrats alleged that the document’s release “risks public exposure of sensitive sources and methods for no legitimate purpose.” The lawsuit also seeks Justice Department records on the declassification of a memo by Intelligence Committee Democrats rebutting charges against the FBI in Nunes’ memo.
