FBI wants even more time to produce Seth Rich laptop records

Drip, drip, drip.

On September 29, 2022, U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant ordered the FBI to produce all records related to Seth Rich’s laptop within 14 days.

On October 12, 2022, the FBI asked the Court to stay its order until October 27, 2022. We did not oppose that request, and the Court granted the extension.

On October 27, 2022, the FBI asked the Court to reverse itself and allow the FBI to withhold the laptop records. In the alternative, the FBI said it should be allowed to produce the records over a period of more than 66 years.

On November 10, 2022, we hammered the FBI’s request to withhold or delay production, and on November 14, 2022 we noted that the FBI had records from both Seth’s personal and work laptops, but the FBI failed to object to production of records from the work laptop. In fact, the FBI failed to discuss the work laptop at all.

The FBI’s response to those arguments was due today, November 30, 2022. At the last minute, the government instead asked for another ten days, this time because it supposedly needs to consult with an FBI official who is not available until next week. Hence my email to the government’s lawyer this afternoon:

Can the FBI give more detail about who this person is and whey they are unavailable? That might change our perspective. If the director is on vacation and does not want to be disturbed, then obviously we’re not OK with that.

The FBI declined to provide more detail. You may recall that FBI Director Christopher Wray excused himself from a U.S. Senate committee hearing on August 4, 2022 because he purportedly had an urgent prior commitment. In reality, he was boarding an FBI-owned jet so he could go on vacation.

Never trust these people. Assume they are lying until they prove otherwise.