[2] In civil litigation, the discovery process is intended to help clarify and narrow the issues in a case in advance of trial.
Parties request documents from one another in order to gather evidence, determine if a case is viable, examine what issues should be explored further, and consider what arguments they might make in court.
[6] The Dodd–Frank Act gives the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) authority to issue civil investigative demands.
The False Claims Act (FCA) authorizes the Attorney General to issue CIDs requiring the recipient to produce documents relevant to an investigation under the FCA "[w]henever [he or she] has reason to believe that any person may be in possession, custody, or control of any documentary material or information relevant to a false claims law investigation.
"[13] A CID may only be served under the FCA before the Attorney General has brought an action against the target of the investigation, after which the statute requires the government to use more traditional discovery tools such as the subpoena.