October 2, 2025
MLFA and Co-Counsel File Request in Federal Court to Prevent Virginia’s Attorney General from Prematurely Enforcing Its Demands
In our most recent action of our many years of advocating in courts for American Muslims for Palestine (“AMP”), our Civil Litigation attorneys partnered with local co-counsel in Virginia to file a request today for a temporary restraining order, or TRO, preventing Virginia’s Attorney General from prematurely enforcing its excessive and unconstitutional demands to AMP.
Beginning in late October 2023, Virginia’s Attorney General has been trying to obtain the types of documents and information on AMP and its supporters that even the IRS and the Supreme Court determined go too far and invade the privacy rights of nonprofit entities and their supporters.
We provided prompt answers on behalf of AMP in late 2023 to the information within the scope of the Attorney General’s authority, and AMP corrected its one error in its filings with Virginia: while AMP did register promptly with the Secretary of State, it did not know about the additional requirement to file a document with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in Virginia. Once AMP became aware of its oversight, it promptly remedied the error. AMP has been and remains in compliance to date, and even filed retroactive forms to address and acknowledge the handful of previous years before it learned about that form.
But the Attorney General’s office continues to insist that it has a right to all donors’ names and full contact information, so that it can reach out to each of them to find out if AMP ever did anything different than what it received donations to do.
- Let’s be clear on that: the Attorney General’s office argued this past July to the Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia that it does not know AMP did anything wrong; it just wants the names and information of each donor, ever, so that it can contact all of them and ask if AMP ever did anything wrong.
- You may listen to the entire oral argument here: https://www.vacourts.gov/coa/oral-arguments/archive?field_release_date_value=07/15/2025&session_date=20250715®ion=74
But that’s not what the law allows. AMP timely objected to these overly broad and invasive requests, and when the court ruled only that the Attorney General was justified in initiating an investigation in the first place, without ruling on our objections based on constitutional rights, we appealed. The Attorney General then filed a whole new lawsuit, not wanting to let the full legal process play out, seeking enforcement before the appellate court issues its ruling. Now, AMP asks a federal court to stop, or enjoin, the Attorney General from enforcing its full requests until the process plays out, and any court rules on the substance of AMP’s constitutional objections.
AMP continues to stand up for the rights of all to lawfully exercise peaceful First Amendment-protected free speech—including the right to donate without fear of unfounded governmental overreach or being prejudged for associating with others who have the same interests and backgrounds.
“We expected that the top attorney in Virginia, elected by the people, would honor the full legal process available to its citizens,” observed our Civil Litigation Department Head Christina A. Jump. “Unfortunately, Virginia’s Attorney General refuses to do that. He instead seeks a shortcut that he knows will harm one of Virginia’s corporate residents—and, if he’s allowed to do it here, could harm every business and entity in Virginia that happens to fall out of favor with the Attorney General at any point. That’s why we ask the federal courts to step in, let AMP utilize its right to the full legal process, and let the law fully decide. AMP deserves that, as do all of Virginia’s citizens.” Christina A. Jump, Civil Litigation Department Head
“The false urgency the Attorney General claims here created real urgency for AMP to protect its First Amendment rights and the rights of its donors and collaborators,” described Civil Litigation Staff Attorney Samira Elhosary. “In an environment of increased targeting of nonprofits by elected officials based on their viewpoints, attorneys bear the responsibility to advocate for their clients to the fullest extent of the law. We are honored to do that for AMP today.” Samira Elhosary, Civil Litigation Staff Attorney
Read: 2025.10.01 – Final Memo iso Motion for TRO – filing
For questions regarding MLFA’s representation of AMP, please contact the following:
- Christina A. Jump, Civil Litigation Department Head, via [email protected]
- Samira Elhosary, Civil Litigation Staff Attorney, via [email protected]
