Democratic National Committee v. The Russian Federation et al

Filing 189

ORDER. The Court has received the attached communication from the United States Department of State relating to the attempted service on the Russian Federation and other entities in Russia. The communication will be filed on the docket together with this Order. SO ORDERED. (Signed by Judge John G. Koeltl on 11/19/18) (yv)

Case 1:18-cv-03501-JGK Document 189 Filed 11/20/18 Page 1 of 6
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK
DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE,
18 Civ. 3501 {JGK)
Plaintiff,
ORDER
- against THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION et al.,
Defendants.

JOHN G. KOELTL, District Judge:
The Court has received the attached communication from the
United States Department of State relating to the attempted
service on the Russian Federation and other entities in Russia.
The communication will be filed on the docket together with this
Order.
SO ORDERED.
Dated:

New York, New York
November 19, 2018

United States District Judge

USDC SONY
DOCUMENT
ELECTRONICALLY FILED
DOC#
DATE F;::-;ll:-:E:-::0-:_-l"J,-:_--.clQ.,,.__=-•.....,./'8~,--___

Case 1:18-cv-03501-JGK Document 189 Filed 11/20/18 Page 2 of 6

United States Department of State
Washington, D.C.

20520

October 18, 2018
Ruby J. Krajick
Clerk of Court
U.S. District Court
Southern District of New York
500 Pearl St.
New York, NY 10007

Re: Democratic National Committee v. The Russian Federation et. al,
18-cv-03501 (JGK)
Dear Ms. Krajick:
I am writing regarding the Court's request for service of a Summons,
Complaint, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Electronic
Case Filing Rules and Instructions, Individual Practices of Judge John G. Koeltl,
and Notice of Suit to the Russian Federation, the General Staff of the Armed
Forces of the Russian Federation, and the GRU Operative Using Pseudonym
"Guccifer 2.0" pursuant to 28 U.S.C. Section 1608(a)(4) as defendants in the above
referenced lawsuit.
In the Department's previous letter dated September 20, 2018, we indicated
that the United States Embassy in Moscow, Russia transmitted the documents to
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation under cover of
diplomatic notes Nos. MFA 080-2018, MFA 081-2018, and MFA 082-2018, dated
and delivered September 7, 2018.
Subsequently, the U.S. Embassy in Moscow received a reply from the
Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the form of a diplomatic note dated
September 27, 2018. While the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, 28 U.S.C.
1608, does not contemplate the use of the diplomatic channel as a means for
defendant foreign States to respond to service of process, in certain cases foreign
governments will provide replies via the diplomatic channel. When this occurs it
is our practice to provide the sending court with these documents. Therefore, I am
including a copy of the diplomatic note in Russian as well as an informal
translation of the note the U.S. Embassy prepared.

Case 1:18-cv-03501-JGK Document 189 Filed 11/20/18 Page 3 of 6

Cc:

Joseph Sellers
Cohen Milstein
I 100 New York Ave. NW, Fifth Floor
Washington, DC 20005

Case 1:18-cv-03501-JGK Document 189 Filed 11/20/18 Page 4 of 6

,Uen

MHHHcTepcTBO

<f>e.D,cpa~Hl1

CBI-I,U:eTeJU,CTByeT

Coe)];RHeHHblX

IlocoJibcTBa
npHJIO)KeHHe:
yrroM.a:H)1Toe,
I-Ia

441

JI.IL

7

ceHT.sr6p.a

cBoe

illTaTOB AMep:~urn:

PoccHiiicI<oa

YBrur<eHHe
H,

flocoJibCTBY

CCbIJiaj!C:E,

HOT!,!

Ha

MFA 80/2018, l\1FA 81/2018, MFA 82/2018 OT
2018

ro,n:a, '.0'.MeeT 1:IeCTI, B03BpaTHTJ:, ):(OKyMeHT&I

Clle.n;epru1&Horo

oKpy)I{Horo

H:r,ro-Hoprca

rro

,l(eMor<parHqecKoH

cy.n;a

HCKY

rrapTIDI

CllIA IO:m:Horo

«Han::aoaan:&HI>IH

npoT:aa

PoccHHCKOH

or<:pyra
KOMHTeT

<I>e,n:epanIIB H

~-»Ocym:ecTBJieHHe
OTHOilleH:mr PocCHB'CX<OH

cy,n:a.MH

ClUA

IOPHCllHK[(MH

cI>enepaUHH TIO paccMarrnmaeMOMy

.ne.rry KBJI.sieTc.s.t HapyrnemrnM Me:>IQzyHapo,n;:aoro
ropHC,Il;HK[l;0:0HHE.IX

B

HMM)'HHTeToa

npaBa, a nMe:a:Ho

PoccHHCKOH

<I>e,n;epau;mr,

l3l:,ITeKaroIIJ;HX H3 np::mn.{0:na cyBepeHHoro pa.BeHcTBa rocy,z:i:apcrB.

1\lliurn:cTepcTBO

HMeeT

-qecTI::,

IIO)J;TBep;:i;HTb,

1::ITO

PoccaiicKa.sr <t>e.n;epa[(HH He ,n;aBana H He JIMeeT B l3H.zry ,n:aBaTI:,
cornacHe Ha pas6HpareJX.&CTBO .zraHHoro .zrena B cyJ.(ax

IlOCOfilCTBY

COEJJJ1HEHHblX lllTATOB AMEPMKM
:r.MocxBa

ClllA.

Case 1:18-cv-03501-JGK Document 189 Filed 11/20/18 Page 5 of 6

2

,.

IIocon:1:,c-r:ao

rrpoc:I-rr

~o:SeCTl{

BbIIIIeH3JIQ;,KeHI'i)'K) IIO3HUHIO

no Cl':10.t(e:t-nrn: KOMIIeTeHTH'F.TX cy.z:r:m~

KOMm,TeHTHI>IMH opra1raMH

CIIIA

He38.i.\,Ie,D;JrrlTe.JD;,HI::,IX Mep C

PoccniicKoii we.n;eparnm.
Hliq:ro B HaCTO~e:a HOTC He Mo:>KeT Ob!Tb HCTOITKOBaHo

~-

COOTBeTCT~YIO!UILX

,'

._.

k:CCITOJIHiIT8JibH:OJrI

V

-,1'.

filIOO Rax OTXC83 f'OCCHHCI(OH ""'e;:r:epa~u OT
1-1..MM""YH-MTeTOB B OTHOIIreHim:

ce6.si :a.rm:

rop11c.n;1ucq.0:0Hm.IX

c:aoeii co6cTB6HHOCTH.

«

1:7

-

-- " -

.<:. "I)> cem,rt:>p,:r: :LU l

~

ro)]:a

"-'l.../1'

Case 1:18-cv-03501-JGK Document 189 Filed 11/20/18 Page 6 of 6
P6L:

"f[. {!¥,.tms/ated by LSSITIU: AN

•'

September 24, 2018

MINKS1'RY
OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
OF Tim RUSSIAN FEDERATION
No. 5343/dsa
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation presents its
compliments to the Embassy of the United States of America and, citing the
Embassy's notes MFA 80/2018, MFA 81/2018, and MFA 82/2018 of September 7,
Enclosure:
as stated, on
441 pages.

2018, has the honor ofreturning the documents of the U.S. Federal District Court
for the Southern District of New York concerning the claim 'The Democratic Party
National Committee versus the Russian Federation, etc'.
Exercise by U. S. courts of jurisdiction with respect to the Russian
Federation in the case in question is a violation of international law, namely, of
jurisdictional immunities of the Russian Federation stemming from the principle of
sovereign equality of states.
The Ministry has the honor of confirming that the Russian Federation has
not given nor does it mean to give consent to the trial of this case in U. S. courts.
The Ministry is asking the Embassy to bring the above stance to the
attention of competent U.S. courts.
The Ministry also has the honor of asking that competent U.S. bodies take
immediate action to stop the actions that violate the immunity of the Russian
Federation.
Nothing in this note shall be construed as a confirmation of proper
notification of the Russian Federation, the Government of the Russian Federation,
or relevant executive bodies of the Russian Federation, its physical or legal entities
or as a waiver by the Russian Federation of its jurisdictional immunities with
respect to itself or its property.
The Ministry avails itself of the opportunity to extend to the Embassy
renewed assurances of its high consideration.
Moscow, September 27, 2018

TO THE EMBASSY OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Moscow