We won our FOIA lawsuit for body cam footage of DOGE raid on US Institute of Peace

I’m not used to writing you with good news, but here goes: 

This morning I went to the District of Columbia Superior Court along with my lawyers Allyson Veile and Adam Marshall of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press for a hearing about my lawsuit seeking all body camera footage from the DOGE raid on the US Institute of Peace (USIP) last March. Now, 11 months after I filed my original Freedom of Information (FOIA) request to the DC Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), we finally have a resolution: We won. 

Associate Judge Darlene Soltys has ordered MPD to produce all un-redacted body camera footage from the officers who responded to calls from both USIP employees and representatives of the Trump administration at the USIP building on March 17, 2025. The order was made live during the course of the hearing, and must be fulfilled within 14 calendar days. 

Phones and recording devices weren’t allowed inside the courtroom, so I’m relying on notes taken by my lawyers and me to give you a sense of what transpired at the hearing. Nothing below is an exact quote. While the judge won’t be issuing a written order, we’re requesting the transcript so that I can share her reasoning in her own words—but that will take a week or so.

MPD’s case relied, in part, on the claim that releasing all of the body camera footage would constitute an invasion of privacy for the DOGE employees present that day. (Prior to Wednesday, they had shared approximately 32 minutes of footage out of five hours and 50 minutes total—some with significant visual or audio redactions.) At the start of the hearing, the judge asked the defense if they could provide any specific examples of exchanges or words uttered in the footage that would support that claim. Lead counsel replied that she could not. The judge then asked if there was any current criminal investigation into what happened at the USIP building, and the answer was no. 

For the most part, Judge Soltys read her ruling from the bench, explaining that MPD had not provided substantial evidence to support their claims. She said that in ordering the USIP employees to vacate the building, MPD had chosen a side in what was a federal dispute. Judge Soltys also underlined the fact that when you are a government employee whose salary is paid for by the taxpayers, there is less expectation of privacy.

As I shared in November, our team was able to get six sworn affidavits from USIP staff who were present the day of the raid. Numerous times throughout her ruling, Judge Soltys referenced the affidavit of Colin O’Brien, the former chief security officer at USIP. MPD had argued that releasing the body cam footage would present a security risk to the current occupants of the building, but O’Brien said that the footage was taken in public spaces, including the lobby where there are often large events with no photo restrictions. 

“We’re proud to have represented Marisa in this case,” RCFP lawyer Allyson Veile said in a statement. “This is an important win not just for The Handbasket but for the promise of transparency in the District of Columbia. The court’s ruling vindicates the public’s right of access to body camera footage, and ensures that the public will get a full and accurate accounting of the episode of the U.S. Institute of Peace last year.”

This outcome is an important reminder that no matter how strong the forces against us may seem, it’s always worth putting up a fight. I look forward to seeing all of the body camera footage, including the “high-fives and fist bumps” O’Brien said were exchanged between MPD officers. I will share clips and insights with you as soon as I can.

Allow me to close by saying: Hell yea.

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