Following FBI Refusal to Process Dr. Bradley Foerster’s Investigation Timeline Request, New FOIA Seeks Early “Russia-Gate” FBI Intake Records (July 2016 – January 2017)

The origins of the FBI’s Russia-Gate investigation remain the subject of continuing historical and political debate.

Public reporting and later congressional investigations focused on issues including:

  • the July 2016 opening of Crossfire Hurricane;
  • statements attributed to George Papadopoulos;
  • the later Steele dossier;
  • media reporting by Michael Isikoff and others; and
  • later disputes regarding investigative predicate, sourcing, and FISA-related representations.

Those disputes later included both the Republican-authored Nunes memorandum and a Democratic response memorandum initially blocked from release by President Trump before a revised/redacted version was later publicly released.

Related background:
Yahoo News reporter Michael Isikoff discussed a September 2016 meeting later referenced in the Nunes memorandum and broader public disputes concerning the origins of the FBI’s Russia-Gate investigation and Carter Page FISA applications.

“One reason that kind of stuns me is obviously is the information I got from Christopher Steele was information that the FBI already had,” Isikoff said.

As alleged in Plaintiff Dr. Bradley Foerster’s First Amended Complaint filed in Foerster v. U.S. Department of Justice, during July–August 2016 Dr. Paul Cronin informed Dr. Bradley Foerster and Ms. Duaa Altaee of allegations concerning Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election, including allegations involving kompromat concerning Donald Trump.

The Complaint further alleges that these statements pre-dated public disclosure of the Steele Dossier by several months.

The FBI later acknowledged approximately 522 potentially responsive pages together with responsive audio records concerning Dr. Foerster.

In April 2026, Dr. Foerster submitted a narrowly tailored FOIA request seeking only two administrative data points concerning the acknowledged investigation:

  • the date the investigation was formally opened; and
  • the date the investigation was formally closed.

The request expressly stated that it did not seek investigative records, narrative materials, or substantive content, but only existing administrative metadata maintained within FBI systems.

April 2026 FBI FOIA request seeking only the opening and closing dates of the acknowledged investigation.

On April 23, 2026, the FBI declined to process the request, asserting that FOIA does not require agencies to “answer inquiries,” “draw conclusions,” or “create records.”

FBI response declining to process the request seeking only investigation opening and closing dates.

Following the denial, Dr. Foerster filed an administrative appeal and subsequently submitted a further narrowed FOIA request limited to existing FBI intake, assessment, referral, and Guardian-entry metadata concerning allegations relating to Russian election interference in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election and/or “Russia-Gate” concerning Dr. Bradley Foerster during the period July 1, 2016 through January 20, 2017.

May 16, 2026 FBI FOIA request seeking limited intake, assessment, referral, and Guardian-entry metadata relating to the formative July 2016 through January 2017 period.

The present FOIA requests are not intended to advance conclusions regarding the disputed origins of “Russia-Gate.” Rather, the requests seek to determine whether administrative FBI intake, assessment, referral, or Guardian-entry records concerning Dr. Bradley Foerster existed during the formative July 2016 through January 2017 period.

The FBI has separately acknowledged approximately 522 potentially responsive pages together with responsive audio records concerning Dr. Foerster. Additional production remains ongoing in Foerster v. U.S. Department of Justice, No. 1:25-cv-03277-CJN.

The federal record remains under reconstruction.

Related material:

Related Reporting

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Brad Foerster, MD PhD

Brad Foerster is a FOIA advocate documenting requests, transparency disputes, and accountability investigations involving public agencies, universities, police oversight, and Russia-Gate related inquiries. His work compiles original documents, timelines, and analysis of public records and institutional responses. Brad is also a board-certified radiologist, author of Town & Gown, and has published over 40 peer-reviewed articles. Brad lives in Potomac, Maryland with his family and is active in the Montgomery County Medical Society and the Takoma Park U.S. & World History Book Club.