WASHINGTON, DC — A Federal District Court judge here has ordered the Department of Energy (DOE) to release more than 7,000 pages of documents related to the Bush administration’s energy task force under a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) ruling.

The Natural Resources Defense Council had filed the FOIA request for the documents last April. The judge stated that the records must be handed over by March 25.

This action is separate from the Congressional General Accounting Office (GAO) lawsuit against Vice President Dick Cheney, filed last week, to try to force the administration to reveal the names of energy company executives involved in energy task force meetings, along with dates and topics discussed.