(a) Request to provide documents. A party may only request another party to produce documents or other tangible items for inspection and copying that are relevant and material to the issues identified in the charge letter and in the respondent's request for hearing.
(b) Meaning of documents. For purposes of this subpart, the term documents includes information, reports, answers, records, accounts, papers, tangible items, and other data and documentary evidence. This subpart does not require the creation of any document. However, requested data stored in an electronic data storage system must be produced in a form reasonably accessible to the requesting party.
(c) Nondisclosable items. This section does not authorize the disclosure of--
(1) Interview reports or statements obtained by any party, or on behalf of any party, of persons whom the party will not call as witness in its case-in-chief;
(2) Analyses and summaries prepared in conjunction with the inquiry, investigation, ORI oversight review, or litigation of the case; or
(3) Any privileged documents, including but not limited to those protected by the attorney-client privilege, attorney-work product doctrine, or Federal law or regulation.
(d) Responses to a discovery request. Within 30 days of receiving a request for the production of documents, a party must either fully respond to the request, submit a written objection to the discovery request, or seek a protective order from the ALJ. If a party objects to a request for the production of documents, the party must identify each document or item subject to the scope of the request and state the basis of the objection for each document, or any part that the party does not produce.
(1) Within 30 days of receiving any objections, the party seeking production may file a motion to compel the production of the requested documents.
(2) The ALJ may order a party to produce the requested documents for in camera inspection to evaluate the merits of a motion to compel or for a protective order.
(3) The ALJ must compel the production of a requested document and deny a motion for a protective order, unless the requested document is--
(i) Not relevant or material to the issues identified in the charge letter or the respondent's request for hearing;
(ii) Unduly costly or burdensome to produce;
(iii) Likely to unduly delay the proceeding or substantially prejudice a party;
(iv) Privileged, including but not limited to documents protected by the attorney-client privilege, attorney-work product doctrine, or Federal law or regulation; or
(v) Collateral to issues to be decided at the hearing.
(4) If any part of a document is protected from disclosure under paragraph (d)(3) of this section, the ALJ must redact the protected portion of a document before giving it to the requesting party.
(5) The party seeking discovery has the burden of showing that the ALJ should allow it.
(e) Refusal to produce items. If a party refuses to provide requested documents when ordered by the ALJ, the ALJ may take corrective action, including but not limited to, ordering the noncompliant party to submit written answers under oath to written interrogatories posed by the other party or taking any of the actions at Sec. 93.515.