Raniere’s Legal Team Seeks Permission to File Missing Documents in His Lawsuit Against Bureau of Prisons
Keith Raniere, through his legal team at Aidala, Bertuna & Kamins P.C., has filed a motion in federal court asking permission to submit critical documents that were “inadvertently omitted in (Raniere’s) previous filings due to a clerical error by a staffer.”
The motion, filed on August 13, 2024, asks the court to allow the late submission of a “Statement of Facts” and a “Controverting Statement of Facts” in opposition to the defendants’ summary judgment motion.
Defendants Include High-Profile Federal Officials
The defendants are U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, Colette Peters, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and two unidentified individuals referred to as “Unknown Gutierrez” and “Unknown Ulrich.”
Raniere is suing the defendants on the grounds of administrative remedies related to his imprisonment.
Raniere’s suit involves allegations of mistreatment, including the BOP not permitting him to speak with his “friend” and power of attorney, Suneel Chakravorty, while in federal custody. The government has made motions to dismiss based on the allegations that Raniere has not exhausted all administrative options before pursuing legal action.
Legal Team Cites Clerical Error for Missing Documents
The summary judgment motion filed by the defendants argues Raniere has not met the legal requirements to continue his case, prompting his legal team to submit additional facts to dispute the defendants’ claims.
The omission occurred due to a clerical error during the electronic filing process, according to Raniere’s attorney, Arthur Aidala.
The legal team asserts that accepting these documents now would not prejudice the defendants and is necessary to ensure that the court gets Raniere’s version of the facts.
The motion also indicates Raniere will not oppose a request from the defendants to file additional responses if the court grants his request.
The case centers on the exhaustion of administrative remedies, with Raniere challenging the defendants’ summary judgment motion.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, representing the defendants, has indicated they do not consent to Raniere’s request.
On May 1, 2024, defendants Merrick Garland, Unknown Gutierrez, Colette Peters, and Unknown Ulrich filed a Motion for Summary Judgment on Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies.
On June 21, 2024, Raniere filed his Opposition to Defendants’ Motion. However, in his filing, one of Aidala’s clerical staff inadvertently omitted the submission of his Statement of Facts and Controverting Statement of Facts in Opposition to Defendants’
Aidala included these missing documents in his request to file them as EXHIBIT A and EXHIBIT B.
