Our Litigation

U.S. Right to Know is investigating the food and agrichemical industries, and the secrets they hide about our food.  We employ litigation as a tool for transparency, to protect consumers and public health.

The documents we have obtained from publicly-funded institutions have generated worldwide media coverage about secret industry payments and hidden collaborations that are undermining scientific, academic, political and regulatory institutions.

Documents are posted below for the following litigation: 
– U.S. Right to Know v. University of Vermont and State Agricultural College (April 2019)
– CrossFit & U.S. Right to Know v. Department of Health and Human Services (October 2018)
– U.S. Right to Know v. EPA: glyphosate residue testing (May 2018)
– U.S. Right to Know v. Department of Health and Human Services (February 2018)
– U.S. Right to Know v. University of Florida Board of Trustee (July 2017)
– U.S. Right to Know v. EPA: review of glyphosate (March 2017)
– Gary Ruskin v. The Regents of the University of California (August 2016)

News Releases

• U.S. Right to Know Sues EPA for Glyphosate Residue Documents (5.22.2018)
• U.S. Right to Know Sues CDC for Documents about its Ties to Coca-Cola (2.21.18)
• University of Florida Sued for Failure to Release Public Records on Agrichemical Industry (7.11.17)
• U.S. Right to Know Sues EPA for Release of Glyphosate Documents; Public Citizen Litigation Group is representing U.S. Right to Know in the action. (3.9.2017)
• UC Davis Sued for Failing to Release Public Records on GMOs and Pesticides (8.18.2016)

News Coverage

• BMJ: US public health agency is sued over failure to release emails from Coca-Cola, by Martha Rosenberg (2.28.18)
• Freedom of the Press Foundation: How corporations suppress disclosure of public records about themselves, by Camille Fassett (2.27.18)
• Alternet: Is Something Fishy Going on Between the University of Florida and the Agrichemical Industry? Consumers Have a Right to Know, by Daniel Ross (2.13.18)
• Sacramento Bee: Watchdog Group Sues to Force UC Davis to Turn Over Public Records, by Diana Lambert (8.19.2016)
• Davis Enterprise: Watchdog Group Sues UCD Over Public Records Request, by Tania Perez (8.21.2016)
• Sacramento News & Review: Watchdog Group Alleges that Five UCD Professors Were Paid to Shill for GMOs by Alastair Bland (9.22.16)
• Politico: UC Davis Sued as Part of Industry Influence Probe, by Jason Huffman (8.19.2016) 

U.S. Right to Know v. University of Vermont and State Agricultural College

U.S. Right to Know is suing the University of Vermont for refusing to release public documents related to a member of its faculty who has longstanding ties to the International Life Sciences Institute, a group funded by the food and agrichemical industries.

• Complaint (4.8.19)

CrossFit & U.S. Right to Know v. Department of Health and Human Services

CrossFit and U.S. Right to Know are suing the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) seeking records about why the Foundation for the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC Foundation) and the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (NIH Foundation) have not disclosed donor information as required by law.

• Complaint (10.4.18)

U.S. Right to Know v. EPA (glyphosate residue testing)

Public Citizen Litigation Group on behalf of U.S. Right to Know is suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the release of documents related to the EPA’s interactions with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding testing food samples for residues of glyphosate.

• Public Citizen Litigation Page
• Complaint (5.22.2018)

U.S. Right to Know v. Department of Health and Human Services

• News release: U.S. Right to Know Sues CDC for Documents about its Ties to Coca-Cola (2.21.18)
• Complaint (2.21.18)

U.S. Right to Know v. University of Florida Board of Trustees

U.S. Right to Know is seeking to obtain key documents about the agrichemical industry and its ties with the University of Florida.

• Judge’s order denying mandamus relief, dismissing case (3.2.18)
• USRTK memorandum of law (2.26.18)
• University of Florida’s bench brief (2.22.18)
• Judge’s order denying Drew Kershen (board member of the Genetic Literacy Project) motion for summary judgment (1.19.18)
• Drew Kershen (board member of the Genetic Literacy Project) first request for production to US Right to Know (1.17.18)
• Drew Kershen first set of interrogatories to US Right to Know (1.17.18)
• Plaintiff’s opposition to motion for summary judgment by Drew Kershen (board member of Genetic Literacy Project) (1.16.17)
• Order scheduling non-jury trial for Feb. 28, 2018. (12.15.17)
• Plaintiff’s first request for production of documents (12.14.17)
• Motion for summary judgement by Drew Kershen (board member of Genetic Literacy Project) (12.12.17)
• Judge’s order setting status conference (11.17.17)
• University of Florida response to supplemental complaint for write of mandamus (11.13.17)
• Drew Kershen’s response to supplemental complaint for writ of mandamus (11.13.17)
• Judge’s order granting motion for leave to file supplemental complaint (10.16.17)
• Plaintiff’s unopposed motion for leave to file supplemental complaint (10.11.17)
• Letter to University of Florida Interim Vice President and General Counsel Amy M. Hass (9.15.17)
• Drew Kershen’s response to USRTK petition for writ of mandamus (8.28.17)
• Judge’s order granting Drew Kershen’s motion to intervene as party defendant (8.18.17)
• USRTK reply in support of complaint for writ of mandamus (8.14.17)
• Drew Kershen’s motion to intervene as party defendant, individually and as a participant in AgBioChatter (8.2.17)
• University of Florida’s response to plaintiff’s complaint for writ of mandamus and order to show cause (8.2.17)
• Judge’s order to University of Florida Board of Trustees to show cause why complaint for writ of mandamus should not be granted (7.13.17)
• Complaint for writ of mandamus (7.11.17)

U.S. Right to Know v. EPA (review of glyphosate)

Public Citizen Litigation Group on behalf of U.S. Right to Know is suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the release of documents related to EPA’s assessment of glyphosate.

• Judge’s Order Awarding Fees to US Right to Know (1.22.18)
• Public Citizen Litigation Page
• Complaint (3.9.2017)

Gary Ruskin v. The Regents of the University of California

U.S. Right to Know is suing UC Davis for failing to release public records about GMOs and pesticides.

• Special interrogatories (10.17.17)
• Request for production of documents (10.17.17)
• UC Davis response (12.1.16)
• Plaintiff’s letter to UC Davis (11.14.16)
• UC Davis response (10.17.16)
• Plaintiff’s letter to UC Davis (10.6.16)
• Plaintiff’s letter to UC Davis (9.23.16)
• UC Davis response (9.16.16)
• USRTK Complaint (8.17.16)