Washington, D.C. ? A reproductive rights group is on a “fishing expedition” and should be denied access to White House e-mails and other documents it seeks as part of a lawsuit promoting unfettered access to the morning-after pill, the Justice Department said Thursday.

The Center for Reproductive Rights subpoenaed the White House in mid-November as part of its lawsuit against the Food and Drug Administration. The group sued seeking to lift all age restrictions on nonprescription sales of the Plan B emergency contraceptive pills. It wants the White House documents to determine whether it interfered with the FDA’s handling of a request by manufacturer Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc. to allow unrestricted, over-the-counter sales of the pills.

In a Thursday letter, Justice Department attorney John R. Tyler told the Center it hadn’t demonstrated the adequate need required to gain access to White House documents.